Drinking At Home: Changing Patterns And Opportunities For Prevention
DownloadDate published
24/02/2026
Topics
Research
Report
Drinking at home: Changing patterns and opportunities for prevention
Drinking At Home: Changing Patterns And Opportunities For Prevention
DownloadDate published
24/02/2026
Topics
Research
Report
Report examining the patterns and drivers of drinking at home and what they mean for alcohol-related harm and prevention.
Overview
Drinking at home is now the most common way adults in the UK consume alcohol. Almost three-quarters (73%) of alcohol is purchased for home use, and adults are twice as likely to drink weekly at home as they are in pubs, bars or restaurants (40% vs 21%). While most home drinking is moderate, its routine and private nature means risks can build gradually and remain less visible.
Drawing on Drinkaware Monitor data and wider evidence, this report examines patterns and drivers of home drinking and what they mean for alcohol-related harm and prevention. The findings highlight the home as an important but under-recognised setting for supporting moderation.
Key findings
- While overall alcohol consumption has declined, the home is now where most drinking occurs, with 73% of alcohol purchased in the UK bought for home consumption from supermarkets and convenience stores. Alcohol purchasing is also highly concentrated: a small minority of households (11%) consuming above the low-risk guideline account for over half (56%) of off-trade alcohol sales.
- Although many home drinking occasions involve lower amounts of alcohol, their frequency means they contribute substantially to overall consumption and binge drinking nationally.
- Drinking socially at home is most common, but regular solitary home drinking is associated with heavier consumption, greater frequency and higher indicators of harm.
- Adults commonly drink at home due to affordability, convenience, relaxation and coping motives. Alcohol can become embedded within everyday routines such as cooking, watching television or unwinding after work, meaning risk can develop gradually over time.
- Home environments can lack the moderating influences present in public venues. Alcohol purchased for home use is more affordable than in pubs and bars, and the home setting lacks structural factors such as closing times, standard measures and social expectations that can act as checks on consumption.
Why it matters
The shift towards home drinking has implications for prevention and harm reduction. Because most alcohol consumption now takes place in private settings, traditional approaches focused primarily on visible harms in public environments may overlook where risk most often accumulates. Supporting moderation requires reaching people where drinking occurs most frequently - at home.
Aligned with the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan and its emphasis on prevention and early intervention, this report identifies practical opportunities to strengthen moderation where drinking most often occurs. These include improving understanding of the low-risk drinking guidelines in ways that resonate with everyday home routines, using behavioural approaches to disrupt habitual drinking patterns, normalising alcohol-free and low-alcohol alternatives as substitutes within home settings, and strengthening cross-sector collaboration to identify risk patterns and co-design scalable interventions.
As drinking habits continue to evolve, prevention strategies must adapt accordingly. Making moderation easier, more visible and more appealing within home environments can strengthen prevention and early support for the approximately 8.2 million drinkers who consume alcohol above the low-risk guidelines.
Last Reviewed: 25th February 2026
Next Review due: 25th February 2031