Boomers, not Gen Z, are the generation cutting back most on alcohol

婴儿潮一代，而非 Z 世代，才是饮酒量减少最多的群体

Baby boomers are the generation cutting back most on alcohol consumption, outstripping Gen Z’s abstinence, as moderation takes hold at every level of society. 随着“适度饮酒”的理念在社会各阶层扎根，婴儿潮一代（Baby boomers）已成为减少酒精摄入最多的群体，其戒酒程度甚至超过了 Z 世代。

Seventy-one percent of boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, consumed alcohol in the past six months—the lowest drinking rate of any generation and down 2 percentage points from three years ago, according to IWSR, a market researcher for the global beverage industry. 根据全球饮料行业市场研究机构 IWSR 的数据，出生于 1946 年至 1964 年间的婴儿潮一代中，仅有 71% 的人在过去六个月内饮酒。这是所有世代中饮酒率最低的，且较三年前下降了 2 个百分点。

By contrast, 74 percent of Gen Z who are at the legal drinking age reported drinking in the past six months, up from 66 percent three years ago, as young people in their late teens and 20s catch up with the total adult population drinking rate of 76 percent. 相比之下，达到法定饮酒年龄的 Z 世代中，有 74% 的人表示在过去六个月内饮过酒，高于三年前的 66%。随着十几岁末期和二十多岁的年轻人逐渐赶上，这一群体的饮酒率已接近 76% 的成年人总人口饮酒率。

The study challenges assumptions that young people are driving the weak demand and falling sales plaguing the global drinks industry. “The narrative that Gen Z is the generation of moderation is now conclusively debunked,” said IWSR President Marten Lodewijks. 这项研究挑战了“年轻人是导致全球饮料行业需求疲软和销售下滑主因”的假设。IWSR 总裁马尔滕·洛德韦克斯（Marten Lodewijks）表示：“关于 Z 世代是‘适度饮酒一代’的说法，现在已被彻底推翻。”

Shares at spirits groups such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard, and Brown-Forman have languished, prompting fierce debate in the sector as to whether the declines are a result of inflationary pressure or longer-term shifts to healthier lifestyles and online socializing. 帝亚吉欧（Diageo）、保乐力加（Pernod Ricard）和百富门（Brown-Forman）等烈酒集团的股价持续低迷，引发了业内关于这种下滑是源于通胀压力，还是源于向更健康生活方式及线上社交长期转变的激烈争论。

The survey of more than 32,000 people across the 15 largest alcohol markets found that drinkers consumed 3.9 drinks at each occasion, down from 4.4 drinks in 2024 and 2025. “The moderation trend increasingly appears to be driven by lifestyle choices, resulting in a structural rather than cyclical change,” Lodewijks said. 这项针对全球 15 个最大酒精市场、超过 3.2 万人的调查发现，饮酒者每次饮酒量为 3.9 杯，低于 2024 年和 2025 年的 4.4 杯。洛德韦克斯表示：“适度饮酒的趋势似乎越来越受到生活方式选择的驱动，这导致了一种结构性而非周期性的变化。”

While declines were in part due to continued economic uncertainty, alcohol consumption was not keeping pace in regions where incomes are rising, in a further sign the industry’s woes are structural. 尽管饮酒量下降部分归因于持续的经济不确定性，但在收入增长的地区，酒精消费量并未同步增长，这进一步表明该行业的困境是结构性的。

The survey found that boomers drank the fewest number of drinks on the fewest occasions, at just 2.6 drinks. Lodewijks said it was typical for consumers to drink less in their 60s and 70s, but that the results showed bigger than expected drops across all metrics. “If this trend continues, it may actually be the Boomers, not Gen Z, who deserve the title ‘generation of moderation,’” he added. 调查发现，婴儿潮一代的饮酒次数最少，且每次饮酒量也最低，仅为 2.6 杯。洛德韦克斯指出，消费者在 60 多岁和 70 多岁时饮酒量减少是常态，但调查结果显示各项指标的降幅均超出了预期。他补充道：“如果这种趋势持续下去，那么真正配得上‘适度饮酒一代’称号的，可能实际上是婴儿潮一代，而非 Z 世代。”

While rates are falling globally, in a few emerging markets drinking is on the up. In India, the participation rate among high-income earners in urban populations was 77 percent, up substantially from 67 percent three years ago. In China, the rate among drinkers in the same cohort was 89 percent, up from 86 percent three years ago. 虽然全球饮酒率呈下降趋势，但在少数新兴市场，饮酒量却在上升。在印度，城市高收入人群的饮酒参与率为 77%，较三年前的 67% 有显著增长。在中国，同类人群中的饮酒率则从三年前的 86% 上升至 89%。