Drinking alcohol after a long day can be relaxing. But while many of us enjoy social drinking, it remains one of the most dangerous and significant risk factors for our overall health and safety.

Most people are aware of the risks of alcohol abuse. However, there hasn’t been much progress toward finding a solution, and the rate of people suffering from alcoholism continues to increase. 

Michael & Associates has gathered the most recent alcohol misuse statistics you must be aware of in 2025.

Key Findings

• More than 175,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes annually.
• Worldwide, about 3 million people die from alcohol-related causes annually.
• 28.3 million Americans aged 12 and older had alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• Someone with an average income drinks about 6.2 liters of alcohol a year.
• Alcohol use accounts for 4% of all cancer deaths in the U.S.
• Wyoming has the highest alcohol-induced death rate in the U.S.
• The alcohol-specific death rate for British males is around twice the rate for females.

General Statistics

Alcohol abuse is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. More than 175,000 Americans die per year due to excessive drinking, according to findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here are more key statistics:

• Alcohol is a significant factor in more than 200 diseases and injury conditions by contributing to 5.1% of illnesses.
• Men are significantly more likely to suffer chronic health conditions due to excessive alcohol consumption.
• Worldwide, alcohol abuse is responsible for at least 3 million deaths annually. This translates to 5.3% of all fatalities.
• An ordinary person drinks about 6.2 liters of alcohol a year.
• People between the ages of 20 to 39 years old account for 13.5% of all alcohol-related deaths.
• 1.34 billion people were estimated to have consumed dangerous amounts of alcohol in 2020.

READ MORE: What is the legal alcohol limit for driving in Texas?

Health Effects

Consuming too much alcohol once in a while usually has few long-term consequences on your health. However, if you binge drink on a regular basis, it can affect your entire body, leading to numerous long-term as well as short-term health problems and even death.

• Alcohol has an impact on short-term health risks such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, and burns.
• Heavy drinkers are more likely to commit violent offenses, including homicide, sexual assault, and family violence.
• Alcohol poisoning happens when there is too much alcohol in your blood, causing sections of your brain to shut down. If it isn’t treated quickly, it could cause death or severe brain damage.
• Sixteen percent of the population is impacted by alcohol-related hypertension or high blood pressure. By drinking more than two drinks regularly, you might be at high risk of developing hypertension. 
• Regular alcohol consumption may also cause the liver to swell and become inflamed. Eight to ten percent of Americans binge drink, and as a result, 10 to 15% develop liver disease linked to alcohol consumption (ARLD). As a consequence, 43.5% of liver disease deaths in the U.S. were caused by alcohol.
• Alcohol use accounts for 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the U.S.
• Alcohol has been linked with cancers of the mouth, throat, vocal cords, liver, and breast. So, the more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk of getting cancer.

Alcohol Abuse and Depression

An estimated 21 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. Often, these episodes are connected to alcohol abuse.

Studies show that nearly two-thirds of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem. As a depressant, alcohol can make you get the blues, drink more, harm your brain, and get into a vicious cycle of depression. But what is the connection between alcohol and depression? Findings show that about 75% of people who died by suicide had one or more drugs in their bodies; many had taken both drugs and alcohol.

This connection seems to work in both ways. People either drink too much, including binge drinking, leading themselves into depression, or they drink to relieve anxiety or depression. Either way, alcohol affects the brain’s chemistry, increasing the risk of depression. Hangovers also play a role in this connection, as they often create an endless cycle of waking up feeling anxious, ill, and guilty.

Gender can also influence how people suffering from alcohol use disorder cope with their condition. Research finds that female alcohol dependence is increased and often begun by mental health struggles like loneliness and rejection.

Chronic Illness

Drinking two drinks regularly can ultimately be deadly. Statistics show:

• Heart disease and stroke account for 17.3% of alcohol-related deaths.
• Liver, gallbladder, and pancreas damage accounts for 7.7% of alcohol-related deaths.
• Other chronic diseases account for 0.52% of alcohol-related deaths.
• Suicide accounts for 7.8% of alcohol-related deaths.
• Alcohol poisoning accounts for 14.24% of alcohol-related deaths.
• Other acute causes account for 10.3% of alcohol-related deaths.

COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were confined to their homes. This had a significant impact on their mental health. As a result, 15% of Americans increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic. Further, the sales of alcohol increased by 2.5%. The number of deaths attributed to alcohol increased to 99,107 from 2019 to 2020.

Alcohol Abuse Deaths

California, Texas, and Florida accounted for the most deaths due to alcohol impairment in 2022, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The District of Columbia, Rhode Island, and Hawaii had the lowest number of deaths. This makes sense because these have the largest and smallest populations.

However, when calculated per capita, the state rankings change dramatically. South Dakota, New Mexico, and Wyoming have the highest per-capita death rates, while Hawaii, New Jersey, and Maryland have the lowest rates.

By State

State	Total alcohol-induced deaths	Per 100,000 residents
United States	51,191	13.5
Alabama	502	8.9
Alaska	286	36.6
Arizona	1,623	20.2
Arkansas	386	11.4
California	6,708	15.5
Colorado	1,581	24.5
Connecticut	509	12.0
Delaware	174	14.1
District of Columbia	96	14.5
Florida	3,262	11.7
Georgia	1,273	10.6
Hawaii	120	7.1
Idaho	375	17.0
Illinois	1,601	11.4
Indiana	1,151	15.1
Iowa	591	16.8
Kansas	487	15.6
Kentucky	746	12.6
Louisiana	491	9.3
Maine	317	18.5
Maryland	601	8.6
Massachusetts	959	11.8
Michigan	1,598	13.9
Minnesota	1,171	17.8
Mississippi	442	13.0
Missouri	911	13.3
Montana	343	27.3
Nebraska	371	18.1
Nevada	759	20.7
New Hampshire	295	17.1
New Jersey	777	7.3
New Mexico	925	42.7
New York	2,003	8.8
North Carolina	1,532	12.4
North Dakota	195	25.0
Ohio	1,707	12.4
Oklahoma	836	19.3
Oregon	1,264	24.5
Pennsylvania	1,420	9.1
Rhode Island	202	15.3
South Carolina	945	15.3
South Dakota	307	34.5
Tennessee	1,328	16.4
Texas	3,285	10.4
Utah	373	11.8
Vermont	144	16.8
Virginia	965	9.6
Washington	1,658	18.4
West Virginia	304	13.7
Wisconsin	1,177	16.6
Wyoming	206	31.1

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, 2022

By Age

When examining the impact by age group, we can see that older age groups have a higher risk of health risks due to alcohol. 

Age	Percentage impacted by alcohol
65 and up	31.4%
50-64	31.8%
35-49	17.9%
20-34	14.13
19 and under	2.03

By Gender

As for diseases, men tend to have higher health risks, with the exception of hypertension. Here are some of the most common alcohol-induced health concerns.

Problem	Men	Women
Hypertension	40%	60%
Liver, gallbladder, and pancreas	56%	44%
Cancer	76%	24%
Heart disease	55%	45%
Other chronic diseases	65%	35%

UK Statistics

More than half a million Brits (602,391) show signs of alcohol addiction, but only 18% of them receive treatment. Moreover, around 14 deaths per 100,000 people are caused by alcohol, with the latest data showing 10,473 alcohol-related deaths in 2023 — a new record.

While there are many ways alcohol can take one’s life, alcoholic liver disease is the most common cause of alcohol-related deaths in Great Britain, accounting for more than 75% of deaths attributed to alcohol consumption. 

Who Is Most at Risk in Great Britain?

Alcohol misuse is extremely dangerous and may cause irreparable harm to any age; still, 50-to-59-year-old Brits are more at risk of dying or having disabilities from alcohol, accounting for one-third of all deaths.

Rates of male alcohol-specific deaths are twice those of females.

The alcohol-specific death rate for males (19 deaths per 100,000 males) is around twice the rate for females (9.2 deaths per 100,000 females). This makes sense since 30% of British men drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week, with women drinking half as much (15 units per week).

Alcohol spending is increasing. Is that stopping the Brits?

The latest data show that, on average, Brits spend £386 on alcohol every year. But is that stopping the Brits from consuming alcohol? Yes and no. While the UK doesn’t rank in the Top 10 countries that consume the most alcohol, it still stands above average. On average, Brits consume 11.45 liters of alcohol per year, while the average is 5.82.

Alcohol Abuse Recovery

Alcohol abuse recovery can be a long and bumpy road: 30% of people who attempt to stop drinking relapse during their first year. Furthermore, 70% of people relapse at some point in their lives.

In a study by the Recovery Village, it was found that 72% of those addicted to alcohol have attempted to stop drinking and detox at home. In comparison, 28% visited rehab centers or hospitals. However, the risk for relapse has increased from 40% to 70%, which shows a step back in the recovery process.

Recovery is a long process and cannot be rushed, but that does not mean it is impossible. There are currently 40.3 million people fighting a substance abuse disorder, of which 28.3 million also battle an alcohol disorder.

Expert Tips on How to Prevent Alcohol Abuse

While alcohol has a significant impact on our health, it also has an impact on the economic costs. So, we are not only harming our health but also spending thousands of dollars on alcohol. Although alcohol cannot be completely eradicated from our culture, there are some measures we can take to try and cut down on its use. This is what experts suggest:

Sources

World Health Organization

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Our World in Data

WebMD

American Cancer Society

National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

The Recovery Village 

The Guardian

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