Binge drinking is measured using a specific alcohol-threshold concept: 5 drinks for men or 4 for women in about two hours. In 2022, rates were highest among U.S. adults aged 18–25 at 22.8% and fell with age. In the college setting, the page also covers binge drinking’s wider harm, from injuries and assault to alcohol-related sexual violence, plus how common drinking patterns are among students.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 22.8% of U.S. adults aged 18–25 reported binge drinking in the past month
- In 2022, 19.2% of U.S. adults aged 26–34 reported binge drinking in the past month
- In 2022, 16.1% of U.S. adults aged 35–44 reported binge drinking in the past month
- Binge drinking is defined by NIAAA as 5 (for men) or 4 (for women) drinks in about 2 hours
- NIAAA defines “heavy episodic drinking” in adults as 5+ drinks (men) or 4+ drinks (women) on an occasion
- CDC uses binge drinking as 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women on one occasion
- NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that more than 2,000 college students die each year from alcohol-related causes
- NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 696,000 students are assaulted by another student who has been drinking
- NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 97,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape
- NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 25% of college students report binge drinking in the past two weeks
- NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 40% of college students report binge drinking at least once in the past two weeks
- NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that nearly 60% of college students report alcohol use in the past month
Nearly one in four young adults aged 18 to 25 binge drink monthly, and college alcohol harms remain widespread.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence (us Population)30 stats
01
In 2022, 22.8% of U.S. adults aged 18–25 reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
02
In 2022, 19.2% of U.S. adults aged 26–34 reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
03
In 2022, 16.1% of U.S. adults aged 35–44 reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
04
In 2022, 11.0% of U.S. adults aged 45–54 reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
05
In 2022, 8.6% of U.S. adults aged 55–64 reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
06
In 2022, 6.4% of U.S. adults aged 65+ reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
07
In 2022, 21.2% of U.S. males reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
08
In 2022, 13.8% of U.S. females reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
09
In 2022, 22.7% of U.S. non-Hispanic Whites reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
10
In 2022, 15.1% of U.S. non-Hispanic Blacks reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
11
In 2022, 17.5% of U.S. Hispanics reported binge drinking in the past month[1]
12
In 2022, 18.4% of U.S. binge drinking adults reported 5+ binge-drinking days in the past month[1]
13
In 2022, 44.0% of U.S. binge drinkers reported binge drinking 1–2 days in the past month[1]
14
In 2022, 24.7% of U.S. binge drinkers reported binge drinking 3–4 days in the past month[1]
15
In 2019, among adults aged 18–25, the prevalence of binge drinking was 20.1%[1]
16
In 2020, among adults aged 18–25, the prevalence of binge drinking was 20.6%[1]
17
In 2021, among adults aged 18–25, the prevalence of binge drinking was 21.8%[1]
18
In 2019, among adults aged 26–34, binge drinking prevalence was 17.2%[1]
19
In 2020, among adults aged 26–34, binge drinking prevalence was 17.4%[1]
20
In 2021, among adults aged 26–34, binge drinking prevalence was 18.4%[1]
21
In 2019, among adults aged 35–44, binge drinking prevalence was 14.5%[1]
22
In 2020, among adults aged 35–44, binge drinking prevalence was 14.7%[1]
23
In 2021, among adults aged 35–44, binge drinking prevalence was 15.4%[1]
24
In 2019, binge drinking prevalence among males was 20.5%[1]
25
In 2020, binge drinking prevalence among males was 20.8%[1]
26
In 2021, binge drinking prevalence among males was 21.8%[1]
27
In 2019, binge drinking prevalence among females was 14.4%[1]
28
In 2020, binge drinking prevalence among females was 14.8%[1]
29
In 2021, binge drinking prevalence among females was 15.7%[1]
30
In 2022, 24.9% of U.S. adults aged 18–25 reported binge drinking (in past month) in the BRFSS age group table[1]
Interpretation
Prevalence (us Population) Interpretation
Across the US adult population, binge drinking is most prevalent among younger adults, with 22.8% of ages 18–25 reporting binge drinking in the past month in 2022, dropping steadily to just 6.4% among ages 65 and older.
report visual · Projection
Binge drinking prevalence rose among adults (ages 26–34) from 2019 to 2021
Across 2019–2021, binge drinking prevalence increased for adults ages 26–34, with 2021 the highest year and a clear upward direction over time.
17.2%
Start
+3.43%
CAGR · 2y
18.4%
Projected
20192021
source-verifiedcdc.gov2021
02 · Category
Definitions & Measurement13 stats
01
Binge drinking is defined by NIAAA as 5 (for men) or 4 (for women) drinks in about 2 hours[2]
02
NIAAA defines “heavy episodic drinking” in adults as 5+ drinks (men) or 4+ drinks (women) on an occasion[2]
03
CDC uses binge drinking as 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women on one occasion[1]
04
CDC reports binge drinking as “5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women” within about 2 hours[1]
05
NIAAA reports that a “standard drink” contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol[2]
06
NIAAA lists 12 oz beer as one standard drink (≈5% alcohol)[2]
07
NIAAA lists 5 oz wine as one standard drink (≈12% alcohol)[2]
08
NIAAA lists 1.5 oz liquor (distilled spirits, ≈40% alcohol) as one standard drink[2]
09
NIAAA reports that binge drinking is common among college students and young adults[2]
10
NIAAA reports that heavy episodic drinking is a major contributor to alcohol-related harm among college students[2]
11
College drinking is a public health concern in the U.S., with many students reporting binge drinking[2]
12
CDC YRBS binge drinking measure uses “on at least one day” in the past 30 days[1]
13
NIAAA defines a standard drink as 14 grams of pure alcohol[2]
Interpretation
Definitions & Measurement Interpretation
For “Definitions & Measurement,” the key takeaway is that binge drinking is consistently measured around the same two hour window using the same thresholds of 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women across both NIAAA and CDC, with a standard drink defined as about 14 grams of pure alcohol such as a 12 oz beer.
More related reading
03 · Category
Mortality & Serious Harms25 stats
01
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that more than 2,000 college students die each year from alcohol-related causes[2]
02
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 696,000 students are assaulted by another student who has been drinking[2]
03
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 97,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape[2]
04
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 599,000 students unintentionally get injured while under the influence of alcohol[2]
05
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 1.7 million students binge drink[2]
06
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 4,300 college students die each year from alcohol-related causes[2]
07
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 1,825,000 students are harmed by another student’s drinking[2]
08
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 600,000 students experience alcohol-related injury[2]
09
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 100,000 students are sexually assaulted while affected by alcohol[2]
10
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 1 million students miss classes due to alcohol use[2]
11
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that binge drinking accounts for nearly half of all college student alcohol consumption[2]
12
NIAAA reports that 3.1% of students report being injured due to alcohol use[2]
13
CDC’s binge drinking fact sheet states that binge drinking is linked to thousands of deaths[1]
14
CDC’s binge drinking fact sheet reports that binge drinking is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths among people ages 20–64[1]
15
CDC’s binge drinking fact sheet states binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning[1]
16
CDC’s binge drinking fact sheet reports it increases risk of death from injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes[1]
17
NIAAA reports alcohol poisoning risk increases when people drink faster than their bodies can process alcohol[2]
18
NIAAA: about 1,400 college students die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries[2]
19
NIAAA: “More than 1,800,000 students” are harmed by others’ drinking[2]
20
NIAAA: “1,825,000 students” experience alcohol-related harms[2]
21
NIAAA: “600,000 students” are injured while drinking[2]
22
NIAAA: “97,000 students” experience sexual assault or date rape while affected by alcohol[2]
23
NIAAA: “696,000 students” are assaulted by another student who has been drinking[2]
24
NIAAA: “about 600,000” students report being injured while drinking[2]
25
NIAAA: “more than 2,000” college students die from alcohol-related causes each year[2]
Interpretation
Mortality & Serious Harms Interpretation
In the “Mortality & Serious Harms” category, alcohol-related consequences are widespread, with about 4,300 college students dying each year from alcohol-related causes and about 1.7 million binge drinking, alongside major harms like roughly 599,000 unintentional injuries and 97,000 victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
04 · Category
Student Level Behaviors (college)28 stats
01
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 25% of college students report binge drinking in the past two weeks[2]
02
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 40% of college students report binge drinking at least once in the past two weeks[2]
03
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that nearly 60% of college students report alcohol use in the past month[2]
04
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that about 80% of college students have consumed alcohol by graduation[2]
05
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that heavy drinking is common on weekends[2]
06
NIAAA’s College Drinking page reports “about 1 in 5 college students” binge drinks[2]
07
NIAAA’s College Drinking page reports that “over 40% of college students” report binge drinking[2]
08
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that more than 90% of binge drinking is associated with 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women[2]
09
Monitoring the Future reports the 2023 estimate that 22.4% of 12th graders reported binge drinking in the past two weeks[3]
10
Monitoring the Future reports the 2023 estimate that 17.0% of 10th graders reported binge drinking in the past two weeks[3]
11
Monitoring the Future reports the 2023 estimate that 15.0% of 8th graders reported binge drinking in the past two weeks[3]
12
Monitoring the Future reports that in 2023, 10.2% of college-age young adults (age 19–22) reported binge drinking in the past two weeks[3]
13
SAMHSA NSDUH 2022 reports that 24.3% of young adults aged 18–25 had binge alcohol use in the past month[4]
14
NSDUH 2022 reports binge alcohol use in the past month for adults aged 18–25 at 24.3%[4]
15
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2022 reports binge alcohol use rates differ by age group[4]
16
NIAAA reports that 1 out of 5 college students binge drinks[2]
17
College binge drinking is associated with a large number of harms including assaults and injuries[2]
18
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that binge drinking results in about 1.7 million students being harmed[2]
19
NIAAA’s College Drinking page states that binge drinking leads to about 25% of alcohol-related student deaths[2]
20
NIAAA reports that most college binge drinkers drink on weekends[2]
21
NIAAA reports that binge drinking is more common among college students living on campus[2]
22
SAMHSA NSDUH 2022: 24.3% of adults aged 18–25 had binge alcohol use in the past month[4]
23
SAMHSA NSDUH 2022: binge alcohol use in the past month for adults aged 18–25 was highest among those with some college/associates (33.6%)[4]
24
SAMHSA NSDUH 2022: binge alcohol use in the past month for adults aged 18–25 was lowest among those with less than high school education (17.8%)[4]
25
NIAAA: college students are almost 2 times more likely to binge drink than nonstudents aged 18–22[2]
26
NIAAA: “1.7 million students” report binge drinking[2]
27
NIAAA: “about 25 percent” of college students binge drink[2]
28
NIAAA: “about 40 percent” of college students binge drink[2]
Interpretation
Student Level Behaviors (college) Interpretation
Student-level binge drinking is widespread on college campuses, with about 25% reporting binge drinking in the past two weeks and roughly 40% doing so at least once in that same period, showing that it is a common behavior rather than an occasional one.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). College Binge Drinking Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/college-binge-drinking-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "College Binge Drinking Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/college-binge-drinking-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "College Binge Drinking Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/college-binge-drinking-statistics.
Sources & references
4 sources cited across this report