Gen Z and the rise of the sober curious

I don’t think anyone could have predicted twenty years ago that one of the biggest threats to the alcohol industry would be young people willingly choosing not to drink. However, that prediction has come true. According to data released by Bloomberg in 2025, more than US$830 billion in market value has evaporated since 2021 from the world’s largest beer, wine and liquor producers—a staggering 46% decline in just four years. Alongside this, a study conducted by Gallup in 2023 found that fewer than four in ten young adults (38%) are now regular drinkers, on par with older adults (40%) but trailing middle-aged adults (48%). This marks a significant shift from two decades ago, when younger adults were the most likely to be regular drinkers and older adults the least.

The more interesting story, however, is not in the numbers, but in why increasing numbers of young adults are choosing to reduce their alcohol intake during the very years of their lives in which heavy drinking has traditionally been expected.

The reasons for this shift are varied. The rising cost of living has certainly made regular nights out less appealing, while growing awareness of the effects of alcohol on physical and mental health has encouraged many to think more carefully about their habits. Social media, despite its faults, has also played a role. Alongside the endless stream of meaningless content, our feeds are increasingly filled with people explaining the benefits they have experienced from drinking less and spending their time pursuing healthier lifestyles.

Sobriety

The rise of what has become known as ‘sober curiosity’ has also encouraged many young people to rethink their relationship with alcohol. Unlike traditional abstinence, sober curiosity is not necessarily about addiction or permanent sobriety. Instead, it encourages people to consider what changes when they decide not to drink. For many, the answer has not been surprising. Better sleep, improved mental clarity, greater productivity and more wholesome weekends have led some to reconsider whether alcohol deserves the central role it has traditionally occupied in social life, particularly for young people.

Young adults now choose to save the money once spent on weekly nights out for experiences that allow them to explore new cultures”

I think this is why describing the trend simply as ‘drinking less’ misses the point. People are not rejecting alcohol; however, many are embracing a way of life in which drinking plays a much smaller role. This doesn’t mean that young people have suddenly become hermits. We still have social lives and enjoy nights out with friends. The difference is that these experiences are increasingly being sought in places other than the pub. Coffee shops have replaced pubs as meeting places for many people. Sea swimming, book clubs, volunteering and creative hobbies have become ways of spending weekends that leave people feeling restored rather than depleted. Travelling offers another example. Many young adults now choose to save the money once spent on weekly nights out for experiences that allow them to explore new cultures and broaden their horizons. This, perhaps, is the heart of the change.

Shift

What strikes me most is that this shift seems to reflect a different understanding of adulthood. Previous generations often spoke about nights out as some of their happiest memories, and for many people they undoubtedly were. But many young adults today appear to place greater value on experiences that continue long after the weekend has ended. Travelling, career progression and working towards personal achievements are increasingly prioritised, and drinking simply does not fit into that lifestyle for many people. None of these pursuits are incompatible with alcohol, but it is often seen as a distraction from what they are aiming for.

That does not mean drinking culture has disappeared, nor should it. For many people, sharing a drink with friends remains an enjoyable part of life. What seems to be changing is the assumption that alcohol must sit at the centre of every social occasion. Increasingly, it is becoming one option among many, rather than the defining feature of a good time.

Young people are no longer willing to accept cultural expectations simply because they have always existed”

Whether this trend continues remains to be seen. Like most cultural trends, attitudes towards alcohol will no doubt continue to fluctuate. What seems clear, however, is that many young people are beginning to look beyond the rose-tinted stories they have inherited about drinking culture and are asking what truly contributes to a meaningful life.

Perhaps this is why the growing interest in sobriety feels significant. It reflects a generation that is becoming increasingly intentional. Many young people are no longer willing to accept cultural expectations simply because they have always existed. Instead, they are weighing them against the lives they hope to build. The point is not that one choice is morally superior to another, but that the choice itself has become more deliberate.

Christians

For Christians, this cultural shift gives us much food for thought. Christianity has never rejected celebration. Christ’s first public miracle took place at a wedding feast, transforming water into wine, and hospitality and celebration remain central to the life of the Church. At the same time, Christianity has always taught the virtue of temperance—not the rejection of good things, but the freedom to enjoy them without becoming mastered by them.

That is perhaps why the Venerable Matt Talbot remains such a compelling figure. His sobriety was born from addiction and sustained through prayer, sacrifice and an extraordinary commitment to God. The circumstances of today’s sober movement are very different, as most young adults choosing not to drink are not recovering from alcoholism but are making a conscious decision about the kind of people they hope to become. Nevertheless, there is an unexpected point of contact between these two stories. Talbot’s life reminds us that freedom is not simply the ability to satisfy every desire, but the ability to choose what leads to genuine human flourishing.

Matt Talbot’s story reminds us that the value of temperance extends far beyond alcohol itself. It is ultimately about the freedom to choose what leads us towards a life of virtue, rather than allowing our desires to dictate the direction of our lives. While today’s sober movement is motivated by very different circumstances, it reveals that many young people are asking similar questions about the kind of lives they wish to lead. As Thomas à Kempis reminds us, “God will not ask us how eloquently we have spoken, but how well we have lived.”