Per capita alcohol consumption of all beverages in the U.S. 1850-2022
Per capita alcohol consumption in the United States has increased in the past couple of decades to reach 2.51 gallons of ethanol per capita in 2021. Beer has accounted for the largest share of the alcohol market in the United States over most of the last decade, but was overtaken by spirits for the first time in 2022.
Health risks
Constant and excessive alcohol use has been shown to cause many health complications and increase the risk of many diseases. For example, alcohol consumption increases the risk of various types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease. The cost of such health complications from alcohol is substantial. As of 2020, it was estimated that the health care costs alone from the abuse of alcohol in the United States were around 27 billion dollars a year.
Liver cirrhosis
A common health complication from the abuse of alcohol is liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver from repeated injury. It can cause other health complications such as high blood pressure, bleeding, and infection, and can result in early death if left untreated. In 2019, there were over 24,000 alcohol-related liver cirrhosis deaths in the United States, almost double the number reported 15 years earlier.
