One in four adults in England do not drink alcohol, with increasing numbers of men and young people deciding to stay sober, according to a survey.

The figures, which come from a questionnaire of 10,000 people as part of the Health Survey for England, found that almost a quarter (24%) of adults in England had not drunk alcohol in 2024, an increase from just under a fifth (19%) in 2022.

Women appeared slightly more abstemious than men, as 26% did not drink alcohol that year compared with 22% of men. The proportion of non-drinkers increased in both genders compared with previous years.

The survey also indicated regional variations in alcohol consumption. The West Midlands and London had the highest proportions of non-drinkers, at 27% and 26% respectively, compared with north-east England’s 17%.

Jem Roberts, head of external affairs at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said that although it was “encouraging” that fewer people were drinking at a higher risk level, this “should not distract from the scale of alcohol harm in England”.

“Millions of people are still drinking at levels that significantly increase their risk of serious harm, from alcohol-related cancers to life-changing injuries and long-term illness, and we have seen record high alcohol deaths in recent years,” Roberts said.

He added: “The alcohol industry will inevitably portray this harm as being confined to a small minority and argue for ‘targeted’ interventions. Decades of robust evidence show this approach does not work.

“The most effective way to reduce the record number of alcohol deaths we are seeing is through population-level measures such as minimum unit pricing, clear health warnings on alcohol labels, restrictions on alcohol availability, and comprehensive bans on alcohol marketing – which we know drives drinking among children and young people.”

The figures follow previous reporting by the Institute of Alcohol studies, which found that alcohol abuse costs the health service £4.9bn a year, of which more than £3bn is spent on alcohol-related A&E visits and hospital admissions.

Among those who did drink, the survey found that 51% of men and 60% of women drank at levels that put them at lower risk of alcohol-related harm.

More men (27%) than women (15%) drank at increasing or higher risk levels, equating to more than 14 units per week. Meanwhile, 5% of men drank more than 50 units a week and 3% of women drank more than 35 units a week, both classed as higher risk. The survey also found people aged 65 to 74 were twice as likely to drink at risky levels (29%) as those aged 25 to 34 (14%).

Other striking statistics revealed by the survey included that 27% of adults were inactive by participating in less than 30 minutes of exercise a week, 46% of adults had at least one longstanding illness or condition, and 10% currently used e-cigarettes or vapes.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.