85 Binge Drinking Statistics, Facts & Demographcs

Top 10 Most Interesting Binge Drinking Statistics

About 1 in 6 adults in the United States binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about 8 drinks per binge. (CDC)
Binge drinking is more common among adults aged 18-34 years old. (CDC)
More than 1 in 3 college students report binge drinking in the past month. (NIAAA)
The economic cost of excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, was estimated to be $249 billion in the United States in 2010. (CDC)
Binge drinking is responsible for over 70% of the total cost of alcohol misuse in the United States. (CDC)
Binge drinking is a factor in more than 50% of all sexual assaults and rapes of college students. (NIAAA)
1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes. (NIAAA)
The Americas have an average consumption rate of 8.2 liters of alcohol per person aged 15 or older per year. (WHO)
Binge drinking is more common among men than women. (SAMHSA)
Binge drinking is responsible for more than 15% of all alcohol-related deaths in the United States. (NIAAA)

IBIS-PH - Health Indicator Report Important Facts - Alcohol Consumption - Binge Drinking

How Many Alcohols are Consumed Worldwide?

Globally, the average person aged 15 or older drinks 6.4 liters of alcohol per year. (WHO)
In Europe, the average person aged 15 or older drinks 10.3 liters of alcohol per year, which is the highest among all regions in the world. (WHO)
The Americas have an average consumption rate of 8.2 liters of alcohol per person aged 15 or older per year. (WHO)
Africa has an average consumption rate of 6.1 liters of alcohol per person aged 15 or older per year, which is the lowest among all regions in the world. (WHO)
In Asia, the average person aged 15 or older drinks 4.9 liters of alcohol per year. (WHO)
The Western Pacific region has an average consumption rate of 5.9 liters of alcohol per person aged 15 or older per year. (WHO)

How Many Binge Drinks are Consumed?

Approximately 51% of total alcohol consumed by adults in the United States comes from binge drinking. (CDC)
Binge drinkers consume an average of 467 binge drinks per year. (CDC)
The prevalence of high-intensity binge drinking (8 or more drinks on an occasion) is highest among adults aged 26 years or older. (NIAAA)
About 90% of the alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is consumed during binge drinking. (SAMHSA)
Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving than non-binge drinkers. (CDC)

Who Binge Drinks?

Young Adults (Ages 18-25)

About 2 out of every 5 young adults aged 18-25 binge drinks.
Among young adults who drink, they consume an average of 7.5 drinks per binge.

Adults (Ages 26-34)

Nearly 1 in 4 adults aged 26-34 binge drinks.
Binge drinkers in this age group consume an average of 9.3 drinks per binge.

Middle-Aged Adults (Ages 35-64)

Approximately 1 in 6 middle-aged adults engage in binge drinking.
Among middle-aged adults who drink, they consume an average of 8.5 drinks per binge.

Older Adults (65+)

Only about 1 in every 20 older adults engages in binge drinking.

Binge Drinking Statistics by Gender

About 1 in 4 men report binge drinking, while only about 1 in 12 women report binge drinking. (CDC)
Among adults who binge drink, men consume an average of 9 drinks per episode, while women consume an average of 6 drinks per episode. (CDC)
Binge drinking is responsible for more than half of all alcohol-related deaths among men aged 16-24 years old. (NHS)

Grouped Bar Graph: Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnoses Among Age Groups, Ages 26+ (22,393 diagnosed with AUD; 4,189 diagnosed with AUD and an illicit drug addiciton), Ages 18-25 (5,215 diagnosed with AUD; 1,921 diagnosed with AUD and an illicit drug addcition), and Ages 12-17 (712 diagnosed with AUD; 340 diagnosed wtih AUD and an illicit drug addiction) on NCDAS

Most Common Causes of Binge Drinking

Peer pressure: According to a survey by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 30% of college students reported that they felt pressured to drink by their peers.
Stress: A study published in the Journal of American College Health found that 72% of college students reported using alcohol to cope with stress.
Social events: According to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 60% of adults who reported binge drinking in the past month did so at a social event.
Mental health issues: According to Mental Health America, individuals with mental health issues are more likely than those without mental health issues to engage in binge drinking.
Low risk perception: According to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 1 in 6 adults who reported binge drinking believed that their behavior put them at increased risk for health problems.

Financial Toll of Alcohol Misuse Due to Binge Drinking

Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, cost the United States an estimated $249 billion in 2010. (CDC)
In 2016, the economic cost of excessive alcohol consumption due to binge drinking was approximately $191 billion in the United States alone. (NIAAA)
The cost of healthcare due to excessive alcohol consumption was about $14.5 billion in 2010. (CDC)
Losses in workplace productivity due to excessive alcohol consumption were estimated at $77 billion in 2010. (CDC)
The cost of criminal justice activities related to excessive alcohol consumption was about $28 billion in 2010. (CDC)

Alcohol Abuse Statistics

About 14.5 million adults aged 18 and older had alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the United States in 2019, which is about 5.8% of this age group. (NIAAA)
Among adults with AUD, only about 7.9% received treatment for the disorder in the past year. (NIAAA)
Nearly 1 in 4 underage adolescents aged between 12 and 20 reported drinking alcohol within the last month in the United States. (SAMHSA)
In a survey conducted by SAMHSA, it was found that around 401,000 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 received treatment for alcohol abuse or addiction in specialized centers across the United States.
In a study published by WHO, it was found that globally, harmful use of alcohol results in approximately 3 million deaths each year, which accounts for around five percent of all deaths worldwide.

Chart: The Worst U.S. States For Binge Drinking | Statista

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Binge Drinking Statistics by State

Wisconsin has the highest percentage of adults who report binge drinking at 26.2%,
North Dakota with 25.9%. (CDC)
Utah has the lowest percentage of adults who report binge drinking at 11.0%
West Virginia with 12.2%. (CDC)
In California, approximately 1 in 6 adults report binge drinking, which is lower than the national average. (CDC)
New York has a slightly higher percentage of adults who report binge drinking compared to the national average at 18.4%. (CDC)
Montana has a binge drinking rate of 20.7%, higher than the national average. (CDC)
New Hampshire has a binge drinking rate of 20.5%, higher than the national average. (CDC)
Texas has a binge drinking rate of 16.5%, lower than the national average. (CDC)

How Many Binge Drinks are Consumed in a Country?

In Australia, about 25% of adults report binge drinking at least once a month. (AIHW)
In Canada, nearly 1 in 5 adults engage in heavy drinking or binge drinking. (CIHI)
In the United Kingdom, around 29% of adults drink more than the recommended guidelines on at least one day a week. (ONS)
In France, about 27% of the population aged between 18 and 75 have engaged in binge drinking at least once within the past year. (OFDT)
In Germany, approximately 16% of adults engage in binge drinking at least once a month. (DESTATIS)
In Russia, about 25% of men and around 7% of women reported heavy episodic drinking in the past year. (WHO)
In Japan, around 12% of adults engage in binge drinking at least once a month. (NIHS)
In Mexico, approximately 20% of adults report binge drinking at least once a month. (WHO)
In Brazil, around 16% of adults engage in binge drinking at least once a month. (WHO)

Chart: The world's worst countries for binge-drinking | Statista

Binge Drinking Statistics in the UK

In the UK, binge drinking is defined as consuming more than six units of alcohol (equivalent to two pints of beer) in a single session.
In 2019, around 26% of adults aged 16 and over reported binge drinking in the past week. (NHS)
Among adults who drink alcohol, around 35% report binge drinking at least once a month. (ONS)
The highest rates of binge drinking are seen among adults aged 16 to 24 years old, with nearly half reporting binge drinking in the past week. (NHS)
According to a survey conducted by Drinkaware, about one-third of parents with children under the age of 18 admitted to getting drunk in front of their children.
The economic cost of alcohol misuse, including binge drinking, was estimated to be £21 billion in England and Wales alone in 2019. (PHE)

Binge Drinking Statistics in Canada

Approximately 20% of Canadians engage in heavy drinking or binge drinking. (CCSA)
Among adults who drink, around 25% report binge drinking at least once a month. (CCSA)
The prevalence of binge drinking is higher among men than women in Canada. (CCSA)
In 2017, an estimated 3 million Canadians reported driving after consuming alcohol within the past year. (CCSA)
Binge drinking is responsible for approximately 50% of all alcohol-related deaths in Canada. (CCSA)

Binge Drinking Death Rate in America

Binge drinking is responsible for more than 15% of all alcohol-related deaths in the United States. (NIAAA)
Binge drinking is responsible for approximately 50% of all alcohol-related deaths in Canada. (CCSA)
Binge drinking is responsible for more than half of all alcohol-related deaths among men aged 16-24 years old in the UK. (NHS)
In the United States, an estimated 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes. (NIAAA)
According to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, binge drinking is responsible for over 10% of deaths among working-age adults aged between 20 and 64 years old.
A report published by the National Center for Health Statistics found that between 2011 and 2015, there were approximately six deaths per day due to alcohol poisoning in the United States.
The age-adjusted rate of alcohol-induced deaths increased by about 50% from 2006 to 2018 in the United States. (CDC)

Binge Drinking Recovery Statistics

Approximately 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually in the United States. (NIAAA)
About 30% of individuals who engage in binge drinking also report alcohol dependence or abuse. (NIAAA)
More than 50% of people who receive treatment for alcohol use disorder report a reduction in their binge drinking episodes. (NIAAA)
Among adults with alcohol use disorder who received treatment, approximately 90% reported a reduction in their alcohol consumption overall. (NIAAA)

FAQs

What is considered binge drinking?

Binge drinking is defined as consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, usually within two hours. For men, binge drinking is consuming five or more drinks, and for women, binge drinking is consuming four or more drinks.

Is it safe to binge drink occasionally?

No, binge drinking can have serious health consequences and should be avoided. Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning, accidents, injuries, and long-term health problems such as liver disease and cancer.

How can I avoid binge drinking?

If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation. This means no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. It is also important to pace yourself when you are drinking and to alternate alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic ones.

What are the signs of alcohol poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning can occur when a person consumes a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. Signs of alcohol poisoning include confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing (less than eight breaths per minute), blue-tinged skin or pale skin, low body temperature (hypothermia), and unconsciousness (passing out).

How can I help someone who has had too much to drink?

If you suspect that someone has had too much to drink and may be experiencing alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately. While waiting for medical help to arrive, make sure the person stays awake by talking with them or having them walk around. If they are unconscious or unable to stay awake, turn them on their side in case they vomit. Do not leave them alone until medical help arrives.

Is it possible to recover from binge drinking?

Yes, it is possible to recover from binge drinking. Seeking professional treatment can help individuals overcome their addiction and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, can also be helpful for individuals in recovery.

Conclusion

Binge drinking can seriously harm your health and wellbeing, both now and in the long run. It can cause alcohol addiction, liver disease, cancer, and other serious health issues.

Plus, the financial toll of alcohol misuse due to binge drinking is estimated to be billions of dollars each year. It's crucial to know the risks of binge drinking and seek professional help if you need it.