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Alcohol Abuse Statistics in the UK

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Updated October 23, 2023

Alcohol abuse has always been a concern in the UK. We’re known to enjoy a pint or two – or more honestly, way more than that – on a fairly regular basis. That being said, our appetite for liquor has only grown over the last few years, especially during and post-pandemic. The latest UK alcohol abuse statistics shed a lot of light on some of the adverse effects this has had on individuals and communities, which range from increasing mortality rates, violent crime, and anti-social behaviour to more people seeking treatment for alcohol abuse.

This article will seek to provide clear and unambiguous alcohol abuse facts hidden in the numbers published by a wide range of trusted and authoritative sources. We hope that these insights contribute to the broader discussion on managing alcohol abuse and work to promote public health in the UK.

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Alcohol and mortality in the UK

Alcohol-specific Death Rates in the UK

The UK registered 9,641 alcohol-specific deaths in 2021, at a rate of 14.8 per 100,000 people. This is the highest-ever recorded rate in the UK.
2021 saw a 7.4% increase in alcohol-specific deaths compared to 2020 and a 27.4% increase from 2019.
Between 2012 and 2019, the alcohol-specific death rate saw no statistically significant movement.
These numbers only represent about a third of all deaths that can be attributed to alcohol, as they don’t include alcohol-attributable cancers, heart disease, and other conditions.
As in all previous years, the alcohol-specific death rate for males was roughly double that of females (20.1 deaths per 100,000 as opposed to 9.9 per 100,000, respectively).

Causes of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK

The leading cause of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK is alcoholic liver disease, at 78%.
95.9% of all alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2021 were attributed to alcohol liver disease (78%), mental and behavioural disorders (12.1%), and accidental poisoning by, and exposure to, alcohol (5.8%).

Causes of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK

People aged 45 to 64 made up 58% of all alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2021.
People under the age of 30 represented only 0.8% of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2021. People over the age of 80 represented more than 3 times as much as 2.6%.

Regional alcohol-specific mortality in the UK

Since 2019, all UK countries have seen an increase in alcohol-specific mortality.
England has seen the biggest increase in alcohol-specific mortality, with a 27.5% increase in deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Wales at 27.1%.

All information and datasets above were sourced from: The Office for National Statistics. ‘Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered in 2021’. 2020

Alcohol, Crime, and Anti-Social Behaviour in the UK

In 2020, there were an estimated 525,000 incidents of violent crime where the offenders were believed to be under the influence of alcohol by the victims.¹
The victims of violent crimes in England and Wales believed the offenders to be under the influence of alcohol in 42% of all reported violent crime cases in 2019/20.²
Those earning less than £20,000 per year experienced 37% more alcohol-related violence than those who earned more than £40,000 per year in 2020.³
Social renters experienced 146% more alcohol-related violence than homeowners in the same year.³
Those earning less than £20,000 per year are more than 3 times as likely to experience alcohol-related domestic abuse than those earning £40,000+.³
4 out of 10 people in a survey of north-west England reported feeling annoyed by alcohol-related anti-social behaviour such as vomiting, rowdiness, and urinating in the street in 2023.²

¹ Drinkaware. ‘Consequences of Alcohol Consumption in the UK’. 2021

² Office for National Statistics. ‘Crime in England and Wales: Other related tables’. 2023

³ Bryant, L. ‘Inequalities in victimisation: alcohol, violence, and anti-social behaviour.’ Institute of Alcohol Studies

Alcohol Treatment Statistics in the UK

Only 20% of alcohol-dependent individuals in England received treatment in 2020/21.⁴
Approximately 107,000 people received treatment for alcohol abuse in England in 2020/21. This represented a 2.4% increase from 2019/20.⁴
With just under 66,000 males and just under 42,000 females in treatment for alcohol abuse in England in 2020/214, there were about 50% more males in treatment, despite males having double the mortality rate for alcohol-specific deaths.
6.2 out of every 10 people in alcohol treatment successfully completed their course, with this number dropping down to 5.5 out of 10 for those receiving treatment for combined alcohol and non-opioid drugs.⁴
59% of people reporting for substance abuse treatment said they had a problem with alcohol in 2019/20.⁵
Approximately one-quarter of all deaths reported during treatment were in the alcohol-only and alcohol and non-opiate drug abuse groups (23% and 24%, respectively), and deaths in treatment occurred at a higher rate in deprived areas.⁵

⁴ Drinkaware. ‘Consequences of Alcohol Consumption in the UK’. 2021

⁵ Public Health England.’Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2019 to 2020: report’. 2020

If you are, or someone you know is struggling with alcohol abuse, Gladstones Clinic can help.

If you or a loved one find yourself addicted to alcohol, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Works Cited

Bryant, Lucy. “Inequalities in victimisation: alcohol, violence, and anti-social behaviour.” Institute of Alcohol Studies, Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2020, https://www.ias.org.uk/uploads/pdf/IAS%20reports/rp41052020.pdf. Accessed 18 October 2023.

“Consequences of Alcohol Consumption in the UK.” Drinkaware, Drinkaware, 19 November 2021, https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/research/alcohol-facts-and-data/consequences-of-alcohol-consumption-in-the-uk. Accessed 18 October 2023.

Office for National Statistics. “Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered in 2021.” Office for National Statistics, Office for National Statistics, 8 December 2022, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/alcoholspecificdeathsintheuk/2021registrations. Accessed 16 October 2023.

Office for National Statistics. “Crime in England and Wales: Other related tables.” 2023 ONS Dataset on Violence and Crime. Year ending March 2023 Dataset, 2023. Office for National Statistics, Office for National Statistics, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesotherrelatedtables. Accessed 18 10 2023.

Public Health England. “Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2019 to 2020: report.” GOV.UK, Public Health England, 26 November 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/substance-misuse-treatment-for-adults-statistics-2019-to-2020/adult-substance-misuse-treatment-statistics-2019-to-2020-report#people-starting-treatment-substances-age-and-referral-source. Accessed 18 October 2023.

Alcohol Abuse Statistics in the UK