BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alcohol consumption is a key preventable cause of disease and injury worldwide. Recent evidence suggests that younger generations may be consuming less alcohol. However, it is still uncertain whether this trend is temporary or indicative of an enduring generational shift. This study sought to determine whether there are generational differences in alcohol consumption in Australia, while accounting for age and other sociodemographic factors.

DESIGN AND SETTING: The analysis used data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.

PARTICIPANTS: The analysis included 23 368 participants (51.9% female) across 23 waves of data. Participants were classified into different generational cohorts according to Pew Research Centre definitions: Silent Generation (1928-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Millennials (1981-1996) and Generation Z (1997-2012).

MEASUREMENTS: The study included three outcome measures: 1) abstention; 2) typical alcohol consumption per drinking occasion; and 3) typical weekly alcohol consumption.

FINDINGS: Although the likelihood of abstaining from alcohol consumption increased with age, Generation Z [odds ratio (OR) = 17.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 13.22-23.80, P < 0.001], Millennials (OR = 9.67, 95% CI = 7.98-11.71, P < 0.001) and Generation X (OR = 3.29, 95% CI = 2.75-3.92, P < 0.001) exhibited increased odds of abstention when compared with Baby Boomers, while the Silent Generation demonstrated decreased odds (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.27-0.41, P < 0.001). Among drinkers, the quantity of per-occasion alcohol consumption reached its peak in early adulthood. Millennials (β = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.44-0.60, P < 0.001) and Generation X (β = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.32-0.47, P < 0.001) self-reported a significantly higher quantity of per-occasion alcohol consumption compared with Baby Boomers, while Generation Z did not significantly differ (β = 0.10, 95% CI = -0.02 to 0.23, P = 0.106) and the Silent Generation consumed significantly less (β = -0.21, 95% CI = -0.30 to -0.11, P < 0.001). Weekly quantity of alcohol consumption among drinkers peaked in early adulthood and midlife, with the Silent Generation [exp(β) = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.09-1.23, P < 0.001] exhibiting the highest levels of consumption, while Generation Z [exp(β) = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.53-0.62, P < 0.001] and Millennials [exp(β) = 0.77, 95% CI = [0.73-0.81, P < 0.001] demonstrated the lowest (compared to Baby Boomers).

CONCLUSIONS: In Australia, there appear to be generational differences in alcohol consumption, including an increase in abstention and an overall reduction in alcohol consumption among Generation Z compared with previous generations.