About The Authors

March 2023 - Food

Over half of UK adults drink alcohol at least once a week, while one in five 'never drink': A survey looking at the UK's drinking habits and attitudes to alcohol-free beverages has revealed that more than half of UK adults drink alcohol at least once a week, with 12% saying they drink four or more times a week. In contrast, around a fifth of the respondents polled (19%) said they 'never drink alcohol'.

The survey by Club Soda polled more than 2,000 UK consumers and also found that 62% of men were likely to drink at least once a week, compared with 41% of women.

Alcohol free drinks

The research asked questions around alcohol-free drinks and found that of those who did drink them, almost three-quarters cited reducing the amount of alcohol they consumed as the top reason. Other  drivers included being able to enjoy the taste of an alcoholic drink but without getting intoxicated (33%), while 31% said they opt for an alcohol-free tipple to cut down on the amount of alcohol they drink overall.

In addition, around a quarter of respondents said they drank non-alcohol drinks to give them a break from drinking (24%), while around a fifth (19%) said they prefer the taste of zero alcohol options.

The research highlighted that in the past, studies have shown that poor perceptions about the quality and flavour of alcohol-free drinks was a barrier to people drinking them, which the authors say are now changing, with younger people more likely to enjoy them.

Two in five of the 18-34-year-olds polled said they drink non-alcohol based drinks at least once every week, compared with just 5% of people aged 55 and over. The study also found than men were more likely to drink alcohol-free drinks more frequently than women (67% compared to 33%).

Other Food Research Findings

Other Latest Market Research Insights