10 Key Statistics on Binge Drinking
- Approximately 26% of people aged 18 years and older reported binge drinking in the past month.
- Binge drinking is most common among young adults aged 18-34 years old.
- Over 90% of the alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is in the form of binge drinking.
- Binge drinking is twice as common among men than women.
- Over 50% of college students who binge drink reported blacking out or experiencing memory loss.
- Binge drinking is responsible for over half of the alcohol-related deaths in the United States.
- Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to drive under the influence than non-binge drinkers.
- Binge drinking can result in long-term health problems such as liver disease and high blood pressure.
- Over 75% of the economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the United States are due to binge drinking.
- Binge drinking increases the risk of sexual assault and other violent crimes.
How many binge drinkers are there?
- As of 2021, approximately 26% of people aged 18 years and older reported binge drinking in the past month.
- This translates to around 66.6 million adults in the United States who engage in binge drinking.
- Among young adults aged 18-34 years old, binge drinking is even more prevalent, with nearly half reporting binge drinking at least once a month.
- It's estimated that over 90% of the alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is in the form of binge drinking. This equates to roughly 7.4 million underage drinkers who engage in this behavior.
- In terms of gender differences, binge drinking is twice as common among men than women, with approximately 29% of men and 15% of women reporting engaging in this behavior within the past month.
What Percentage of Binge Drinkers Become Alcoholics?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that about 15% of people who engage in binge drinking will develop alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, at some point in their lives.
Who Binge Drinks?
- Binge drinking is most common among young adults aged 18-34 years old, with nearly half reporting binge drinking at least once a month.
- Among adults aged 26 years and older, binge drinking is most common among those who earn $75,000 or more per year.
- White adults are more likely to engage in binge drinking than other racial groups, with approximately 27% of white adults reporting this behavior within the past month compared to 17% of Black adults and 16% of Hispanic adults.
Most Common Causes of Binge Drinking
- Peer pressure: Studies have shown that peer pressure is one of the primary reasons why young adults engage in binge drinking. Approximately 30% of binge drinkers report that they do so because their friends or peers encourage them to.
- Stress: Many people turn to alcohol as a way to cope with stress. Approximately 20% of binge drinkers report that they do so because they are stressed out.
- Celebration: Binge drinking is often associated with celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, and holidays. Approximately 15% of binge drinkers report that they do so to celebrate a special occasion.
- Mental health issues: People who suffer from mental health issues such as depression or anxiety may turn to alcohol as a way to self-medicate. Approximately 10% of binge drinkers report that they do so because they are struggling with mental health issues.
- Availability: Finally, availability plays a significant role in binge drinking behavior. Approximately 25% of binge drinkers report that they do so simply because alcohol is readily available to them.
Binge Drinking among College Students
- Over 50% of college students who binge drink reported blacking out or experiencing memory loss.
- Approximately 1 in 4 college students report academic consequences from their drinking, including missing classes, falling behind in coursework, and receiving lower grades.
- Around 20% of college students meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder.
- Binge drinking is more common among fraternity and sorority members than non-members, with approximately 86% of fraternity members and 80% of sorority members reporting binge drinking.
- According to a survey by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, almost 2 out of every 3 college students aged between 18 and 22 years old reported drinking alcohol in the past month, while almost 2 out of every 5 reported binge-drinking.
Binge Drinking among Teenagers
- Binge drinking is most common among teenagers aged 12-17 years old, with approximately 1 in 5 high school students reporting binge drinking within the past month.
- Among high school seniors, approximately 14% report engaging in binge drinking on a weekly basis.
- Binge drinking also increases the risk of sexual assault and other forms of violence among teenagers. In fact, over 90% of sexual assaults on college campuses involve alcohol use by either the victim or the perpetrator.
Binge Drinking by State
- The highest percentage of adults who reported binge drinking in the past month is in Wisconsin, with 25.6% of adults engaging in this behavior.
- The lowest percentage of adults who reported binge drinking in the past month is in Utah, with only 10.4% of adults engaging in this behavior.
- Other states with high percentages of binge drinkers include North Dakota (24.9%), Minnesota (23.8%), and Iowa (22.7%).
- States with the lowest percentages of binge drinkers include Tennessee (14.1%), West Virginia (14.3%), and Kentucky (15%).
Binge Drinking and Age
- Binge drinking is most common among young adults aged 18-34 years old, with nearly half reporting binge drinking at least once a month.
- Among adults aged 26 years and older, binge drinking is most common among those who earn $75,000 or more per year.
- In terms of gender differences, binge drinking is twice as common among men than women, with approximately 29% of men and 15% of women reporting engaging in this behavior within the past month.
- The age group with the highest percentage of binge drinkers is adults between the ages of 25 and 34. Approximately 29% of people in this age group reported binge drinking in the past month.
- Younger adults aged between 18 and 24 have the second-highest percentage of binge drinkers at approximately 28%.
- Adults aged between 35 and 44 have a slightly lower rate of binge drinking at around 24%, while those aged over 45 have even lower rates.
Binge Drinking by Country
- In the United Kingdom, approximately 28% of adults reported binge drinking in the past month.
- Australia has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in the world, with around 25% of adults engaging in this behavior within the past month.
- Canada has a binge drinking rate of around 19%, with men being twice as likely to engage in this behavior as women.
- In France, approximately 23% of adults report binge drinking at least once a month.
- Germany has a high rate of binge drinking, with approximately 26% of adults engaging in this behavior within the past month.
- In Russia, around 20% of adults report binge drinking at least once a week.
- South Africa has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Africa, with around 41% of adult drinkers reporting this behavior within the past month.
- In Japan, approximately 10% of adults report engaging in binge drinking at least once a month.
Binge Drinking and Gender
- Binge drinking is twice as common among men than women, with approximately 29% of men and 15% of women reporting engaging in this behavior within the past month.
- Men are more likely to binge drink than women across all age groups, although the gap narrows as people get older.
- In terms of college students, around 43% of male students reported binge drinking compared to 36% of female students.
- Among adults aged 26 years and older, binge drinking is most common among those who earn $75,000 or more per year. However, this trend is more pronounced among men than women.
- Among men aged 26 years and older who earn $75,000 or more per year, around 31% reported binge drinking in the past month compared to only 17% of women in the same category.
- Approximately 30% of white men report binge drinking compared to 20% of Black men and 18% of Hispanic men.
- Similarly, approximately 16% of white women report binge drinking compared to 10% of Black women and 9% of Hispanic women.
How many binge drinks are consumed?
- On average, a person who engages in binge drinking consumes about 7 drinks per episode.
- Binge drinkers consume about 17 billion total binge drinks annually, which averages out to about 467 binge drinks per binge drinker per year.
- In the United States, approximately 80,000 deaths each year are attributed to excessive alcohol consumption. Of those deaths, over half are due to binge drinking.
- The economic cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the United States is estimated at over $249 billion per year. Of that amount, more than three-quarters is due to binge drinking.
What percentage of people binge drink worldwide?
- According to the World Health Organization, approximately 16% of the global population aged 15 years and older engage in binge drinking.
- In Europe, around 30% of adults report binge drinking at least once a month.
- In South America, approximately 22% of drinkers engage in binge drinking behavior.
- The prevalence of binge drinking is lower in Asia, with only around 10% of the adult population reporting this behavior within the past month.
- In Africa, approximately 25% of drinkers report engaging in binge drinking. However, data on alcohol consumption in Africa is limited and may not be entirely accurate.
The Serious Risks of Binge Drinking
- Alcohol Poisoning: Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning, which is a life-threatening condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30% of alcohol poisoning deaths in the United States are due to binge drinking.
- Injuries: Binge drinking increases the risk of injuries from falls, car accidents, and other accidents. In fact, about one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States involve alcohol.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Binge drinkers are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior that can lead to STIs such as HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancies. Studies have shown that binge drinkers are twice as likely to have unprotected sex than non-binge drinkers.
- Mental Health Issues: Binge drinking has been linked to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. According to one study, people who engage in binge drinking are three times more likely to develop major depression than non-binge drinkers.
- Long-Term Health Problems: Chronic binge drinking can lead to long-term health problems such as liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. In fact, the CDC reports that over time, binge drinking can increase a person's risk of developing these conditions by up to 70%.
The Cost of Binge Drinking
- Healthcare Costs: In the United States, excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, is estimated to cost over $249 billion per year in healthcare expenses alone.
- Lost Productivity: Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to decreased productivity at work and increased absenteeism. The cost of lost productivity due to excessive alcohol consumption in the United States is estimated at over $77 billion per year.
- Criminal Justice Costs: Binge drinking can lead to criminal behavior such as driving under the influence (DUI) or public intoxication. In the United States, the cost of enforcing laws related to excessive alcohol consumption is estimated at over $28 billion per year.
- Vehicle Crashes: Alcohol-impaired driving crashes account for approximately one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. According to the CDC, each year, these crashes cost more than $44 billion in medical care and work loss costs.
- Alcohol Poisoning Treatment: As mentioned earlier, binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning, which requires emergency medical treatment. The cost of treating alcohol poisoning in the United States is estimated at over $1.2 billion per year.
Binge Drinking Statistics in Australia
- Around 25% of Australian adults engage in binge drinking behavior within the past month.
- Men are more likely to binge drink than women, with approximately 31% of men and 19% of women reporting this behavior.
- The age group with the highest percentage of binge drinkers is young adults aged between 18 and 24 years old, with around 36% reporting this behavior within the past month.
Binge Drinking Statistics in Canada
- Approximately 19% of Canadians engage in binge drinking behavior.
- The highest rates of binge drinking are reported among young adults aged between 18 and 24, with approximately 35% reporting this behavior.
- Men are more likely to engage in binge drinking than women, with approximately 22% of men and 16% of women reporting this behavior.
- Approximately 25% of those with a university degree reported binge drinking compared to only 14% of those with less than a high school education.
- In terms of geography, the Atlantic provinces have the highest rates of binge drinking in Canada, with Newfoundland and Labrador reporting the highest rate at approximately 27%.
- The lowest rates are reported in Quebec, where only about 14% of people report engaging in this behavior.
Country with the Highest Rate of Binge Drinking
- The country with the highest rate of binge drinking in the world is Lithuania, where approximately 39% of adults engage in this behavior.
- Other countries with high rates of binge drinking include Austria (around 28%), Estonia (around 27%), and Ireland (around 26%).
- In terms of non-European countries, Australia has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in the world at around 25%, while South Africa has a rate of around 41%.
FAQs
What is binge drinking?
Binge drinking is defined as consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, typically within two hours. For men, binge drinking is usually defined as consuming five or more drinks in this time frame, while for women it is defined as consuming four or more drinks.
Is binge drinking only a problem among young people?
No, binge drinking can affect people of all ages. While it is most common among young adults aged between 18 and 34 years old, binge drinking can also be a problem among older adults who may have more disposable income to spend on alcohol.
How does binge drinking affect my health?
Binge drinking can have serious short-term and long-term effects on your health. In the short term, it can lead to alcohol poisoning, injuries from falls or accidents, and risky sexual behavior that can result in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or unintended pregnancies. In the long term, chronic binge drinking can lead to liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
Can I drink alcohol if I'm not binge-drinking?
Moderate alcohol consumption (defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men) has been associated with some health benefits such as lower risk of heart disease. However, even moderate alcohol consumption carries some risks and should be done in moderation.
How can I tell if I have a problem with binge drinking?
If you find yourself regularly engaging in binge drinking behavior or experiencing negative consequences such as hangovers or injuries related to your alcohol use, it may be time to seek help. Talk to your healthcare provider or a mental health professional about your concerns.
Conclusion
Binge drinking is a widespread problem that affects people of all ages, genders, and nationalities. The serious risks associated with binge drinking, such as alcohol poisoning, injuries, STIs, mental health issues, and long-term health problems, make it important to raise awareness about the dangers of this behavior.
In addition to its negative impact on health, binge drinking also has significant economic costs due to healthcare expenses, lost productivity at work, criminal justice costs, vehicle crashes, and alcohol poisoning treatment.
While moderate alcohol consumption may have some health benefits when done in moderation, it is essential to be aware of the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption and seek help if necessary.
By taking steps to reduce binge drinking rates through education and prevention efforts, we can work towards a healthier and safer society for all.
Sources
- https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep21-03-10-006.pdf
- https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/binge-drinking
- https://alcohol.org/teens/binge-drinking-facts/
- https://drugabusestatistics.org/alcohol-abuse-statistics/
- https://www.statista.com/chart/5357/the-worlds-worst-countries-for-binge-drinking/
