By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-08-28 04:46:01 | Updated at 2026-08-28 05:43:16
1 hour ago
Young Britons are turning their backs on alcohol as new research suggests people in their 40s could be the last generation of regular drinkers.
Britain's largest health research programme has uncovered a striking generational divide in the nation's drinking habits.
The study by Our Future Health analysed data from nearly 1.7 million people across different age groups.
It found adults in their 40s were 52 per cent more likely than under-40s to exceed the Government's recommended weekly limit of 14 units.
Just 12.6 per cent of 18 to 39-year-olds drank more than the recommended weekly allowance, rising to 19.2 per cent among those in their 40s.
More than a quarter of people in their 50s exceeded the guidelines, with the figure peaking at 28.2 per cent among those in their 60s.
The generational divide was even clearer when researchers examined daily drinking.
Barely two per cent of people in their 20s reported drinking every day or almost every day, compared with around six per cent of those in their 40s.
That rose to nearly 14 per cent among people in their 60s, while almost one in four over-80s drank every day or close to it.
Barely two per cent of people in their 20s reported drinking every day or almost every day
GETTY
Around a quarter of under-40s said they reserved alcohol for special occasions, compared with just 13 per cent of those in their 60s.
Researchers suggested older millennials could represent the tail end of generations for whom habitual drinking remains a cultural fixture.
The study also uncovered a strong link between wealth and alcohol consumption.
Across every age group, people earning more than £100,000 a year were the most likely to drink beyond recommended limits, with around a quarter doing so.
That was nearly double the rate recorded among the lowest earners.
More than a quarter of people in their 50s exceeded the guidelines, with the figure peaking at 28.2 per cent among those in their 60s
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More than nine in 10 of the highest earners drank alcohol, compared with fewer than eight in 10 people earning £18,000 or less.
However, younger adults have not abandoned pubs and bars altogether, with Gen Z drinkers instead spending less when they visit.
They spend an average of £98 a month in pubs and bars, compared with £123 among millennials - around a fifth less.
Ros Blackwood, director of population health at Our Future Health, said the programme offered insights into drinking habits "at a scale that hasn't yet been possible in health research".
She said the findings opened up opportunities to investigate the "risks, protective factors, longer-term health impacts of alcohol and inequalities".
Gen Z drinkers spend an average of £98 a month in pubs and bars, compared with £123 among millennials
GETTY
Jem Roberts, of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, warned that alcohol-related deaths among older people remain a growing concern.
He called for "evidence-based public health measures that support everyone drinking at harmful levels, not just the young".
Matt Lambert, chief executive of the Portman Group, said record numbers "across all age ranges" are now drinking within recommended guidelines.
Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, warned harmful consumption remains concentrated among middle-aged and older Britons.
He added: "It looks like older age groups have something to learn from younger generations on this occasion."
