One in four adults in England have chosen not to drink alcohol, a 10,000‑person Health Survey for England shows. The proportion of non‑drinkers rose to 24% in 2024 from 19% in 2022, with women slightly more abstinent (26%) than men (22%). Regional differences were evident: West Midlands and London saw the highest rates of abstinence at 27% and 26%, while the North‑East reported only 17%. The survey also highlighted that 60% of women and 51% of men drank at lower risk levels, yet 27% of men and 15% of women drank at higher risk levels, with 5% of men exceeding 50 units per week. Expert Jem Roberts of the Institute of Alcohol Studies warned that while the trend toward sobriety is encouraging, it should not distract from the scale of alcohol‑related harm and the £4.9 billion annual cost to the NHS.

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