Nearly half of UK drinkers plan to reduce their alcohol intake over the next year

Nearly half of UK adults who say they drink alcohol (48%) plan to stop drinking alcohol or reduce the amount of alcohol they drink over the next year, according to new research from Aviva¹. Just under one in ten of these (9%) say they plan to completely stop drinking alcohol altogether.

Interestingly, the research found that the younger generation are most likely to cut down their alcohol intake. Just under two thirds (61%) of 18–24-year-olds plan to reduce, or completely stop, their drinking over the next year, which increases to more than two thirds (68%) for those aged 25-34.

While over a third of UK adults who plan to reduce their alcohol consumption over the next year (34%) said that they are doing this to save money, health was also a key motivator for this move to adopt more responsible drinking habits.

An equal number of people (34%) said that they wanted to be physically healthier and over a quarter (27%) said that they wanted to lose weight. One in five (20%) worry about the effect alcohol is having on their body. While 19% say they want to improve their mental wellbeing. This increases to over a quarter (27%), for those aged 18-24 years.

While Aviva’s research highlights encouraging behaviours when it comes to the UK’s relationship with alcohol, it also confirms that many people are unsure about the recommended maximum level of alcohol they can drink to help control the risk to their health.

In 2016, the UK government updated the alcohol consumption guidance, reducing the recommended maximum number of units of alcohol for men from up to 21 units a week to up to 14 units a week, matching the recommendation for females.²

Fewer than a quarter of people (21%) correctly identified that people should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, to help keep their health risks at a low level. This reduces to 19% amongst male respondents.

Aviva’s research also explored the motivation for adults who had already taken the decision to stop drinking alcohol. 

Not surprisingly, wellbeing featured highly with more than a quarter (26%) saying they lead a sober lifestyle because they feel healthier, and just under a quarter (24%) said that they feel happier. Slightly fewer (23%) said that they want to be healthy as they grow older.

Just under one in ten (9%) say they have never drunk or tried alcohol and more than half of those who now don’t drink (52%) say it has been more than a year since they last consumed an alcoholic beverage.

Dr Doug Wright, Medical Director at Aviva UK Health, says: “In recent years, many people have started to adopt a more responsible relationship with alcohol – with some choosing to give it up altogether. 

“Encouragingly, Aviva’s research suggests that this positive trend is set to continue, with nearly half of the people taking part in the survey saying that they plan to either cut down or stop drinking alcohol over the next year. This is reassuring as reducing our alcohol intake can help improve our current and future health.

“The NHS recommends that we drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis. This should be spread over a few days and we should have two or three alcohol-free days, to help keep the risk to our health at a low level. There’s a wide range of support available online to help people monitor their alcohol intake and to help them on their journey to a healthier relationship with alcohol.”

See more information about Aviva's research.

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References

^{1. The research was conducted by Censuswide with 2004 nationally representative consumers (18+) between 07.06.2024 - 11.06.2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.}

^{2. Alcohol Guidelines Review – Report from the Guidelines development group to the UK Chief Medical Officers (publishing.service.gov.uk)}

^{N.B Nearly half of UK adults who say they drink alcohol (48%) plan to stop drinking or reduce the amount of alcohol they drink over the next year was calculated using all 'yes' options combined.}

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