EXPLAINER: Why Gen Z isn’t drinking like previous generations

Today’s generation of young adults are selective about when, where, and how much they drink.

A Gen Xer walks through Greenbelt, Bonifacio High Street, Eastwood, and Tomas Morato and can’t help but notice something strange.

The bars where he spent countless nights are gone.

In their place are cafés, brunch spots, fitness studios, specialty restaurants, and dessert shops. The crowds are still there, but the buckets of beer and late-night drinking sessions seem fewer than before.

It raises an interesting question: If Gen Z isn’t drinking, why?

Research suggests that Gen Z consumes about 20 percent less alcohol than millennials did at the same age, according to data cited by Berenberg Research and reported by Tatler Asia.

One major reason is wellness.

A study published through Georgia Southern University’s Digital Commons found that 86 percent of Gen Z respondents consider mental health just as important as physical health when making decisions about alcohol consumption. Many are wary of alcohol’s effects on sleep, anxiety, and overall well-being. The dreaded “hangxiety”—that post-drinking wave of stress and regret—has become a powerful deterrent.

Money is another factor.

Discussions among Gen Z consumers and market analyses show that many young adults see alcohol as an expensive luxury. Rather than spending heavily on bar tabs, they prefer to allocate their budgets toward travel, hobbies, fitness, gaming, and other experiences.

Then there’s social media.

The Georgia Southern University study also noted that Gen Z’s upbringing in the smartphone era has made many highly conscious of their digital footprint. Public drunkenness, loss of control, and viral embarrassment are risks many would rather avoid.

Instead of bars, young people are finding community elsewhere. According to a Yahoo Finance report on changing consumer habits, Gen Z is increasingly gravitating toward running clubs, gyms, and fitness communities as alternatives to traditional nightlife.

Many are also embracing the “sober curious” movement, which encourages mindful drinking rather than total abstinence. Research by Attest found that more than one in five Gen Z consumers actively seek non-alcoholic alternatives when socializing.

That doesn’t mean Gen Z is entirely sober. Many still enjoy cocktails, wine, and beer. But they’re increasingly selective about when, where, and how much they drink. Bacardi’s Cocktail Trends Report found that 34 percent of legal-age Gen Z consumers prefer drinking earlier in the day or evening, a habit now known as “daycapping.”

The shift reflects something bigger than alcohol. For Gen Z, fun is no longer automatically linked to getting drunk.

The bars haven’t disappeared because young people stopped socializing.

They’ve disappeared because young people have changed what socializing looks like.

READ: