Research involving nearly 1.7 million Britons indicates that people in their 40s may represent the last generation of regular alcohol drinkers, as younger adults increasingly consume less alcohol or abstain altogether. The study, conducted by Our Future Health—Britain’s largest health research programme—found a significant generational divide in drinking patterns.

Data showed that individuals in their 40s were 52 percent more likely than those under 40 to exceed the UK government’s recommended limit of 14 units of alcohol per week, which is roughly equivalent to six pints of beer or six medium-sized glasses of wine. Approximately 19 percent of people in their 40s drank more than these guidelines, compared to 12.6 percent of adults under 40. The proportion of adults exceeding recommended intake rises with age, reaching 26 percent in those in their 50s and 28 percent among individuals in their 60s.

Drinking habits also varied in frequency. Nearly 25 percent of under-40s said they drank only on special occasions, while this figure was around 13 percent for those in their 60s. Daily or nearly daily drinking was uncommon in younger adults, with fewer than 2 percent of people in their 20s reporting such habits, compared to nearly 6 percent of those in their 40s and 14 percent among those in their 60s. Among those aged 80 or older, about one in four reported drinking every or almost every day.

The research also highlighted a correlation between affluence and alcohol consumption. Those earning £100,000 or more were more likely to drink above recommended limits across all age groups, with around 25 percent regularly exceeding the guidelines, double the rate of individuals earning £18,000 or less. Similarly, nine out of ten high earners reported drinking alcohol, compared with fewer than eight out of ten in lower income brackets.

While the majority of younger adults still consumed alcohol, almost nine out of ten aged 18 to 39 drank within recommended limits, a pattern described by health experts as “low risk,” though no level of alcohol consumption is considered completely safe. Additionally, younger adults were more likely to abstain from alcohol altogether, with 12 percent of people in their 20s identifying as teetotal, compared to 8 percent of those in their 60s.

Public health experts emphasized the positive cultural shift in younger generations’ attitudes toward alcohol. Jem Roberts of the Institute of Alcohol Studies welcomed the decline but urged continued evidence-based strategies to address harmful drinking across all age groups. Dr. Richard Piper of Alcohol Change UK remarked that older generations might learn from younger people’s changing relationship with alcohol.

The data arrives amid wider trends affecting the alcohol industry in the UK, with reports noting a record rate of pub closures—161 lost in the first quarter of 2026 alone—reflecting shifts in consumption and social habits. Government statistics released earlier this year indicated that a quarter of adults in England do not drink alcohol, and alcohol-related deaths are at their lowest since 2021.