Estimates of alcohol dependent adults in England: summary
Updated 14 March 2024
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-dependence-prevalence-in-england/estimates-of-alcohol-dependent-adults-in-england-summary
National estimates
These estimates of alcohol dependence in England were produced by the University of Sheffield. They contain updated estimates of the number of adults that were dependent on alcohol in 2019 to 2020 in each local authority and region in England.
Previously published estimates back to 2015 to 2016 are also included.
There were an estimated 608,416 adults (18 and over) with alcohol dependence in England in 2019 to 2020. This is 2% more (12,560) than in 2015 to 2016 and 1% (6,025) more than in 2018 to 2019.
The following tables show the estimated number and rate per 1,000 population of alcohol dependent adults in England between 2015 to 2016 and 2019 to 2020. They also show 95% confidence intervals with upper and lower limits. This means that there is a 95% probability that the true value lies between these upper and lower limits.
Table 1: estimated number of alcohol dependent adults in England (between 2015 to 2016 and 2019 to 2020)
| Year | Point estimate | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Upper bound 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 to 16 | 595,856 | 494,921 | 760,656 |
| 2016 to 17 | 589,101 | 481,965 | 744,996 |
| 2017 to 18 | 586,780 | 485,444 | 742,305 |
| 2018 to 19 | 602,391 | 494,302 | 760,989 |
| 2019 to 20 | 608,416 | 501,037 | 766,536 |
Table 2: estimates of alcohol dependence in England rate per 1,000 population (between 2015 to 2016 and 2019 to 2020)
| Year | Rate per 1,000 | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Upper bound 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 to 16 | 13.8 | 11.5 | 17.7 |
| 2016 to 17 | 13.6 | 11.1 | 17.1 |
| 2017 to 18 | 13.4 | 11.1 | 17.0 |
| 2018 to 19 | 13.7 | 11.2 | 17.3 |
| 2019 to 20 | 13.8 | 11.3 | 17.3 |
There were approximately 14 alcohol dependent adults for every 1,000 adults in England between March 2019 and April 2020. Figure 1 shows that this rate has been stable since 2015 to 2016.
Figure 1: trend in estimated alcohol dependence in England between 2015 to 2016 and 2019 to 2020
Regional estimates
These estimates varied regionally and at local authority level in England. This is likely because of several factors, including differences in:
- the socio-economic make-up of populations around England
- regional hospital admission rates
For example, some areas have more younger men who are more likely to have alcohol dependence.
The highest rates of alcohol dependence were in the northern parts of England, with the North West (17.47 per 1,000) and North East (17.73 per 1,000) having the highest rates of alcohol dependent adults in England.
Figure 2: alcohol dependence in England by region (rate per 1,000 population)
| Region | Rate per 1,000 population |
|---|---|
| East of England | 11.2 |
| South East | 11.6 |
| South West | 12.8 |
| East Midlands | 12.9 |
| London | 13.4 |
| England | 13.7 |
| West Midlands | 14.3 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 15.0 |
| North West | 17.5 |
| North East | 17.7 |