Nearly 20 times less likely to ever consume alcohol in their lifetime than Baby Boomers Generation Z’s alcohol use is rewriting Australia’s social map. That’s the positive note in a Flinders University study tracking more than 23,000 Australians for 20 years, and it’s no fleeting youth trend. Experts say this is a stable change of behaviour that has the potential to deliver big public health gains.
Lead author Dr Gianluca Di Censo says, “Our research shows that over the course of their lives, Gen Z are nearly 20 times more likely to choose not to drink alcohol compared to Baby Boomers, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors.” That is, even in young adulthood historically the nadir for abstinence Gen Z are standing firm, drinking dramatically less alcohol per week than previous generations.
Millennials are also part of this cultural change. While they drink more per session than Boomers, weekly consumption overall is lower, suggesting heavy drinking over the course of a week is decreasing. Generation X shows the same patterns, but binge sessions remain a problem. The Silent Generation, however, maintains weekly consumption leadership, reinforcing the need for targeted harm-minimization programs among older Australians.
Co-author Dr Kirrilly Thompson comments, “Younger Australians are growing up in a different world—one where abstaining from alcohol is increasingly normal, and where digital socialising, rising living costs, and health awareness are reshaping how people spend their time and money.” This is something that can be witnessed globally, with studies pointing to teenagers and young adults in affluent nations consuming alcohol much less than previous generations. In Finland, for example, qualitative interviews determined that social media altered the way young people develop friendships and romantic relationships and reduced alcohol’s role as a social lubricant.
Financial stress is also in play. With housing costs, student loans, and everyday expenses going up, discretionary spending on alcohol is less appealing. Gen Zers are laying out 40% less money on alcohol than previous generations and taking fewer trips to drink stores, recent surveys report. Numerous young people are “sober curious,” embracing alcohol-free living as a healthy lifestyle preference rather than a restriction, generating growth in the non-beverage sector.
Public health campaigns have capitalized on this momentum. Evidence shows that very well-funded, continuous education especially on the link between alcohol and cancer can persuade people to cut back. Awareness remains low, however; fewer than half of Australians are aware alcohol is a carcinogen. The Cancer Council is calling for more robust health warning labels, restrictions on advertising, and reform like minimum unit pricing, which has reduced alcohol harms in places like the Northern Territory and Scotland without punishing moderate drinkers.
Policy change can lock in such generational gains. Measures such as volumetric taxation, tighter regulation of marketing (zero-alcohol beers with the same packaging as booze) and of density of outlets are on the table. They all target high-risk groups whether teenagers experimenting with bingeing or middle-aged individuals with long-established heavy drinking while making room for broader cultural shift towards responsible drinking.
To cultural and public health workers, this is not just a figure; it’s an indicator of changing social norms. Gen Z and younger millennial generations are changing the way people interact, party, and relax frequently without an alcoholic beverage in hand. As Dr Thompson explains, “This research shows that change is possible. Generation Z are redefining what it means to socialise and celebrate, and they’re doing it with less alcohol.”
