US and Britain: Who’s drinking too much and how’s it affecting their health

Excessive alcohol consumption has long been associated with a host of health issues. In this YouGov Profiles piece, we look at Brits and Americans who admit they drink too much and examine how they feel it affects the various aspects of their health.

A fifth of adults in both the US (18%) and Britain (21%) say they drink too much. Millennials on both sides of the pond are more likely than other groups to say they drink too much. 24 % in Britian and 26% in the United States say drink too much. Gen X Brits (24%) are more likely than their American counterparts (16%) to consider themselves as drinking too much.

The gap among older generations of Brits and Americans widens further. Baby Boomers in Britain are twice as likely to admit that they drink too much (18% vs 9% of American Baby Boomers), and Brits belonging to the Silent Generation are almost thrice as likely (13% vs 5%).

YouGov Profiles also gives us an insight into an audience’s own health perceptions. So, how does the health perception of those who drink too much compare to those who don’t?

Across almost all categories of health, the group that agrees with the statement “I drink too much” is less likely than those who disagree to report feeling healthy. The difference is more pronounced in the United States. Americans who disagree with the statement “I drink too much” are 13-percentage points more likely to feel mentally healthy (54% vs 41%), and a similar gap is noticed when it comes to emotional health (50% vs 38%).

Although less exaggerated, differences are present between the two groups of Britons too. The only exception is in the category of social health, where a similar proportion of consumers in both categories report feeling healthy (34%).

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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.