Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Fortune
Fortune
Julian Braithwaite

Gen Z is drinking 20% less than Millennials. Productivity is rising. Coincidence? Not quite

Julian Braithwaite is the Director General of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (Credit: courtesy of International Alliance for Responsible Drinking)

For all the noise surrounding alcohol today, one fact rarely enters the conversation: societies with moderate, responsible drinking habits consistently outperform economically. Across OECD economies, decades of analysis confirm this link, showing that responsible consumption supports higher productivity and more resilient growth.

This isn’t just a lifestyle trend — it’s a shift in the fundamentals of growth. Gen Z is drinking differently, Dry January participation continues to rise, and employers are increasingly focused on performance, wellbeing, and sustainable productivity. These cultural shifts map onto a deeper economic trend: moderation is no longer just a personal choice, it’s becoming a structural feature of modern business strategy.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.