Alcohol Use Disorder - Epidemiology Forecast - 2036

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) Insights and Trends

• The US has experienced a statistically significant decline in AUD, accompanied by parallel reductions in binge drinking, heavy alcohol use, and underage alcohol consumption among individuals aged 12-20. Reflecting these positive shifts, the 2025 landscape highlights a strong and growing momentum toward recovery.
• The United States has a substantial burden of AUD, with recent estimates suggesting ~25 million Americans are affected, potentially reflecting comparatively permissive cultural norms around alcohol consumption.
• Patients with AUD are classified as mild, moderate, or severe under DSM-5 criteria, with nearly 14 million individuals experiencing moderate to severe disease. Approved treatments have limited efficacy for AUD. Consequently, there is a substantial unmet need for more effective therapies that reduce alcohol cravings and heavy drinking while addressing associated comorbidities.
• AUD remains a major global public health challenge, contributing to significant health, social, and economic burdens, with excessive alcohol use ranking among the leading causes of preventable death and alcohol-related road traffic fatalities. However, recent data indicate early signs of declining trends in alcohol use and AUD prevalence in certain populations, reflecting gradual progress in prevention and recovery efforts.
• Among the severity-specific AUD, mild AUD represents the largest proportion, accounting for roughly 50%. Mild AUD can often be managed at the primary care level.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) Epidemiology forecast

• 2025 Prevalent Cases of AUD: ~ 37,101,000
• AUD Growth Rate (2026-2036): -0.5% CAGR

DelveInsight's 'Alcohol use disorder (AUD) - Epidemiology Forecast - 2036' report delivers an in-depth understanding of the AUD, historical and forecasted epidemiology, in the United States, EU4 (Germany, Spain, Italy, and France), the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) Understanding and Treatment Algorithm

AUD Overview and Diagnosis

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), or alcoholism, is a condition where excessive drinking affects physical health, thinking, and behavior, with individuals continuing to drink despite harmful consequences. It is characterized by loss of control over alcohol use, inability to quit, cravings, increased tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and neglect of responsibilities. Over time, individuals may become physically and psychologically dependent as the brain adapts to alcohol, leading to withdrawal when intake stops. AUD is linked to serious health, social, and behavioral issues, including liver and heart disease, mental health disorders, accidents, and risky behaviors. It arises from a combination of genetic susceptibility especially with a family history and environmental factors such as social influences, stress, and lack of support.

Alcohol use disorders are common but often underrecognized, making routine screening important. Diagnosis is mainly clinical, based on symptoms like loss of control, cravings, continued use despite harm, tolerance, and withdrawal, with severity classified by DSM-5. Tools such as AUDIT and CAGE help identify risky drinking, while blood tests and biomarkers can support assessment and monitor alcohol use or relapse.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) Epidemiology

Key Findings from AUD Epidemiological Analysis and Forecast

• According to DelveInsight estimates, there were 25,648,000 12-months diagnosed prevalent cases of AUD in the US in 2025, which are projected to decrease by 2036.
• Among EU4 and the UK, Germany accounted for maximum cases of AUD, followed by France and least in Spain, in 2025.
• The 12-month diagnosed prevalence of AUD in the United States has shown a modest decline in recent years, decreasing from ~10.6% in 2021 to ~9.7% in 2025. This trend aligns with reductions in heavy and binge drinking rates, particularly among young adults, rather than solely cultural or lifestyle shifts.
• AUD affects approximately 70% of males and 30% of females in the EU4 and the UK. Projections for the gender-specific diagnosed prevalence indicate a decrease during the forecast period (2026-2036).
• DelveInsight analysts have categorized the diagnosed cases of AUD into five age groups: 18-29 years, 30-44 years, 45-64 years, and 65+ years, respectively, during the study period (2022-2036). In 2025, the highest number of AUD cases was accounted for the age group 45-64 years, with 8,977,000 cases.

Scope of the Report:

• The report covers a segment of a descriptive overview of AUD, explaining their causes, signs and symptoms, and pathogenesis.
• Comprehensive insight has been provided into the epidemiology forecasts, the future growth potential of the diagnosis rate, and disease progression.

Report Insights

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) Patient population forecast

Report Key Strengths

• Epidemiology-based (Epi-based) bottom-up forecasting
• 11-year forecast
• Patient Burden trends (by geography)

FAQs:

• What are the disease risks, burdens, and unmet needs of AUD? What will be the growth opportunities across the 7MM concerning the patient population with AUD?
• What is the historical and forecasted AUD patient pool in the US, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), the UK, and Japan?

Reasons to Buy:

• Insights on patient burden/disease prevalence, evolution in diagnosis, and factors contributing to the change in the epidemiology of the disease during the forecast years.
• To understand key opinion leaders' perspectives around the diagnostic challenges to overcome barriers in the future.
• Detailed insights on various factors hampering disease diagnosis and other existing diagnostic challenges.