Global Alcohol Consumption: Trends, Forecasts & Market Shifts by 2035

Global alcohol volume declined 2% (2024-2025), but is forecast to stabilize by 2035 due to consumer growth. RTDs, no-alcohol beer, and specific spirits grew. Challenges remain as markets shift, with significant declines expected in China, US, and Europe.

From 2024 to 2025, global total drink alcohol quantity declined by -2%. Amongst significant classifications over the very same period, worldwide beer quantity declined -2%, global white wine volume was down -5%, and global spirits quantity lost -3%.

On the other hand, the population of lawful drinking age customers is anticipated to grow by 9% over the very same period. This development in customer numbers is sufficient to bring total global quantity in 2035 to just -1% lower than 2025 volume.

Danil Nevsky mourns the death of a time when call was physical, not digital, and when connections implied more than a swipe of a display. He holds out hope that real community will return for younger generations

National Market Performance & Challenges

At the nationwide level, 66 of the 165 markets tracked by IWSR in 2025 saw the variety of servings of drink alcohol consumed grow from 2024 degrees. 83 markets saw decreases, and 12 markets remained level (0% adjustment).

Marten Lodewijks, president and handling supervisor of IWSR, claimed: “The forecast stabilisation in worldwide drink alcohol quantities is great news for the industry, but there are still lots of difficulties in advance. 2035 will be a vastly different market landscape than the one we see today, and producers will certainly need to accommodate altering consumer preferences in well established markets along with prepare for significant modifications in where intake is happening. Companies that just rely on previous successes to bring them via the next years will certainly encounter serious obstacles.”

Emerging Growth Categories & Consumer Shifts

Furthermore, a number of subcategories saw growth in 2025. No alcohol beer expanded +8% by volume, Indian whisky grew +4% by volume, Stout was up +4% by quantity, RTD cocktails were up +14% by volume and Soju outside of Korea grew +9% by volume.

The projection becomes part of IWSR’s yearly international data launch, published today (11 June), which includes confirmed 2025 usage data and IWSR’s initial ten-year forecast for the 160 national markets it checks.

Luke Tegner, IWSR head of consulting, added: “In 2025, customers proceeded seeking flavour benefit, abv and expedition variety to match their intake celebrations. This is driving a shift in consumption away from even more well-known categories like a glass of wine and spirits to RTDs. Global RTD consumption got to 1 billion 9 litre instances for the very first time in 2025, and there is no indicator of this pattern moderating anytime quickly.”

Moderation Trend & Regional Declines

Small amounts will remain to be an expanding pattern over the following years, with global yearly per capita litres of pure alcohol forecast to go down half a litre by 2035, about equivalent to two containers of spirits or a situation of wine per person each year.

Marten Lodewijks, president and handling supervisor of IWSR, claimed: “The forecast stabilisation in international drink alcohol volumes is great information for the industry, however there are still plenty of difficulties ahead. Luke Tegner, IWSR head of consulting, added: “In 2025, customers proceeded looking for flavour ease, expedition and abv diversity to match their consumption celebrations. Global RTD intake reached 1 billion 9 litre cases for the very first time in 2025, and there is no sign of this pattern mellowing out anytime soon.”

The number of beverage alcohol portions eaten in China in 2035 is forecast to be -19% lower than 2025. Other big declines in complete drink servings taken in over the same duration are the US (-18%), Japan (-15%), Germany (-14%), and the UK (-13%).