Consumption of alcoholic beverages by different generations of the Russian Federation population

Studies on alcohol use generally analyze the age-related behavior associated with this factor but do not consider the attitude of people of different ages to the socio-economic situation, the absence or implementation of anti-alcohol policies, or the attitude change over time in people of different generations. Objective. To analyze the features and changes over time of alcohol consumption in different generations of the Russian population and the relationship with the socio-economic situation and anti-alcohol policy. Materials and methods. The source was the micro database of a sample observation of the population’s state of health conducted by the Federal Service of State Statistics (Rosstat) in 2019 and 2024. The prevalence of consumption of all alcoholic beverages and their types was calculated. The comparative analysis was carried out for five-year population groups depending on the birth year (by generation). Results. Between 2019 and 2024, the relative decrease in alcohol consumption in men was 9.3% vs. 4.5% in women, while the structure of consumption of different types of alcoholic beverages remained virtually unchanged. The highest prevalence of alcohol consumption was observed in individuals of the generation that was born between 1970 and 1989. In subsequent generations, since 1990, the prevalence of alcohol consumption has been steadily decreasing. The percentage of consumers of spirits was the largest among the generations born before 1969, with a steady decrease in later generations. During the period of the state anti-alcohol policy, in generations born in 1990 and later, the proportion of consumers of alcoholic beverages, including spirits, was the smallest. Conclusion. Analysis of the characteristics of alcohol consumption by different generations of the Russian population helps to assess not only the prevalence of alcohol consumption but also the influence of socio-economic and legislative factors on it.