Why are one in three Brits drinking less alcohol in 2026?

Key findings:

• One-third of British adults who drink (33%) say they are drinking less alcohol than they were 12 months ago, while just 8% say they are drinking more. 
• Among those who have cut back, the most common reason is a reduced desire to drink (51%).
• Affordability concerns (33%) and health concerns (29%) follow.

New YouGov Profiles data shows that while most Britons who drink say their alcohol consumption is unchanged from a year ago (58%), one in three (33%) say they have reduced their intake in comparison.

Only 8% say they have increased it. A further 1% say they have stopped drinking alcohol completely.

Reduced desire to drink is the main reason people are cutting back

Among Britons who say they are drinking less than they were a year ago, most say it is simply due to a reduced desire to drink. Just over half (51%) say this has contributed to their lower alcohol consumption.

Financial considerations are also a notable factor, with a third (33%) saying they can no longer afford to drink as much as they previously did. Health concerns rank third, cited by 29% of those who say they have cut back.

Beyond the top three reasons, relatively few respondents point to specific external factors. One in ten (10%) say their friends or family have started drinking less, while 8% cite medication as a reason.

Methodology: 

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between June 2025 – June 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in Great Britain and weighted by age, gender, region, education, and social grade.

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