Drinking After 50: What the Numbers Show

Rates are lower than for younger people, and larger than many of us assume.

By Neil Solomon · 2 min read

Picture a couple named Frank, 62, and Dolores, 60. Since Frank retired, wine at dinner has become wine at four o'clock. Dolores has not said anything. She is not sure what a lot looks like.

Here are numbers that could help her decide.

How common is heavy drinking at this age?

Binge drinking means about five or more drinks in one session for a man and four for a woman. In 2022 to 2024, 16.3 percent of US adults 50 and older reported at least one binge in the past month. In adults 65 and older, 11.4 percent did in 2024, and 4.8 percent had an alcohol use disorder.

Rates are lower than for younger people, and larger than many of us assume.

Why people drink more

In a study that followed US adults over time, people who drank to cope with a low mood were more likely to develop dependence later. Their odds were about three times higher. Another review of studies found that stress is the most consistent driver of drinking, while the role of loneliness is mixed.

Pooled research finds that alcohol use disorder and major depression raise each other's odds, by about two times each way. In other words, drinking to lift a mood may feed it.

Deaths

The CDC estimates about 178,000 deaths a year are caused by excessive drinking, roughly 119,600 in men and 58,700 in women. One analysis of national death data reports that deaths caused directly by alcohol are highest among people aged 55 to 64.

For Dolores

She does not need a number to start. She could ask Frank how the drinks feel when he pours them, and whether the four o'clock hour is for relief. Then the two of them could try a few weeks of change and see what happens to his sleep and mood.