People in the middle-making between $30,000 and $75,000, and those who completed some college-drank less than their richer, better-educated peers but more than lower-income, less educated people.
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Researchers from Gallup conducted telephone interviews from July 8 to July 12, 2015, talking to 1,009 adults aged 18 and older throughout the U.S. Results showed that 64 percent of Americans said they drink alcohol, the majority of whom enjoy beer as opposed to wine or liquor. And they prefer wine over beer.
Population groups that are more likely to report they drink, such as men, those with higher incomes and those with more education, are also less likely to say they believe drinking is unhealthy. Among non-college graduates, more than half preferred beer over wine.
Americans’ experiences with alcohol appear to influence their beliefs about the health benefits of moderate drinking.
Among all factors associated with alcohol consumption, socio-economic status and education seem to have a bigger impact when compared to gender, age, race, region, and even religion.
The gap between higher- and lower-income Americans could come from access to alcohol, according to the study. Americans with higher incomes can afford to drink more and are more likely to do things that involve drinking, such as eat at restaurants, vacation or go out with co-workers.
“The direct connection between drinking and engaging in these activities is not clear from the data, but such a connection could help explain why upper-income Americans are more likely to drink alcohol than other Americans”.
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Similarly, 45% of college graduates said they had drunk within the past 24 hours, while 28% of Americans with a high school diploma or less education said the same.
