Rich people and college graduates are more likely to say they drink alcohol. And they prefer wine over beer.
Eight out of 10 adults who qualify as upper-income and highly educated say they drink alcohol, according to Gallup’s annual poll of American consumption habits. The results, released on Monday and conducted via telephone from 8 to 12 July with a random sample of 1,009 adults, found only half of lower-income Americans and those with a high school diploma or less say they drink.
Drinkers within the higher socioeconomic status prefer to drink wine, although beer has historically been the drink of choice among Americans. This year, beer remains the overall popular drink of choice, with 42% of Americans saying they most often drink beer.
But among college graduates, 44% prefer wine, while 35% chose beer. Among non-college graduates, more than half preferred beer over wine.
Gallup found that overall, 64% of Americans say they drink, which is consistent with polls dating to 1939.
Income levels and education disparity mark the biggest differences in drinking habits among Americans, and are typically larger than differences caused by gender, age, race, region and religions, the survey found.
The gap between higher- and lower-income Americans could come from access to alcohol, the study suggests. 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.
Income and education levels also affect drinking habits. Out of Americans who make $75,000 or more, 47% said they last drank an alcoholic beverage within the last 24 hours. Out of Americans who make less than $30,000, 18% said they had a drink in the last 24 hours.
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.
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