Deaths from alcohol-related liver disease in the United States have doubled over the past two decades, with minority groups and younger adults facing a growing share of the toll. Researchers analyzing nearly 440,000 deaths between 1999 and 2022 found that the age-adjusted mortality rate climbed from 6.71 to 12.53 per 100,000, with a sharp spike during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study identified “disproportionate increases” among Native American and Alaska Native communities, women, and adults between the ages of 25 and 44. For Native Americans in particular, the findings point to a crisis layered on top of long-standing health inequities. The researchers called these trends “particularly concerning,” stressing the urgent need for “targeted public health interventions and enhanced surveillance”.
Pandemic-era drinking patterns played a central role. Researchers said shifts in alcohol use were “more severe and enduring” than previously documented, leaving minority and rural communities especially vulnerable to long-term harm. The sustained impact highlights how social and economic disruptions—combined with uneven access to treatment—deepened existing disparities.
While the U.S. has seen progress in other public health crises, including a 24 percent drop in overdose deaths in the past year, alcohol-related mortality continues to climb. Without stronger prevention and treatment efforts, experts warn that Native American populations and other at-risk groups will remain disproportionately affected.
See: “US alcohol-related liver disease deaths double in two decades” (June 16, 2025)
