Wisconsin’s alcohol-induced death rate has declined since a pandemic-era spike but remains above pre-pandemic levels, a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report shows.
In 2024, Wisconsin recorded 1,076 deaths due to alcohol-induced causes, according to provisional date from the Centers for Disease Control’s WONDER database. The state’s alcohol-induced mortality rate was 18.2 per 100,000 residents.
While this rate has declined since the pandemic — 2020 seeing a rate of 18.5 — it remains well above 2019’s rate of 14.9, which resulted in 865 deaths that year. At that time, the 2019 rate was Wisconsin’s highest in more than two decades.
In the early 2010s, Wisconsin closely tracked the nation in its rate of alcohol-induced deaths. In recent years, however, a noticeable split between Wisconsin’s alcohol-related death rate and the national rate has emerged.
In 2024, the U.S. saw a national rate of 13.9 per 100,000 residents compared to Wisconsin’s 18.2.
While most alcohol-induced deaths occur among middle-aged and older adults, Wisconsin’s population is older than the nation on average. Despite this, similar trend remains when rates are adjusted for age.
In 2024, the national rate of alcohol-induced deaths was 12.2 on an age-adjusted basis — nearly 21% lower than Wisconsin’s age-adjusted rate of 15 per 100,000 residents.
Here are some of the report’s key findings.
Black Wisconsinites saw higher rates for alcohol-induced death
In breaking down the population into five demographic groups — Hispanic (of any race) or non-Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, Black or white — and the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that the state’s largest outlier is its Black residents.
At a national level, Black Americans had an age-adjusted alcohol-induced mortality rate at 8.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024, which was well below the rate for the population overall.
In Wisconsin, however, the age-adjusted rate for Black residents was 19.9 — more than double the national rate for all Black Americans.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum noted a broad increase across demographic groups from 2018 to 2024. Of the five groups, only American Indians in Wisconsin saw a decline in age-adjusted, alcohol-induced mortality since 2018.
Women saw larger increases in alcohol-induced death rates
Both in Wisconsin and nationally, men have historically been much more likely to die of alcohol-induced causes than women. While this observation remains true, women have seen greater increases.
From 1999 to 2024, the age-adjusted rate increased 53% for all men nationally, to a rate of 17.6 per 100,000, and 125% for women, to a rate of 7.2. In Wisconsin, this period brought increases of 102% for men, to an age-adjusted rate of 20.6, and 163.9% for women, to a rate of 9.5.
Neighboring states saw similar rates
In 2024, Wisconsin has a similar age-adjusted alcohol-induced death rate to its neighbors, ranking 20th nationwide.
Despite the Badger State being known for its beer scene, Wisconsin faired slightly better than two neighboring states, Iowa and Minnesota — which saw rates of 15.9 and 16.2, respectively, compared with Wisconsin’s 15.
This suggests Wisconsin’s higher-than-average mortality rate may be linked to regional factors that don’t end at its state borders, according report.
While Wisconsin is part of a cluster of Upper Midwest states with rates above the national average, every state in the top 10 is located in the western part of the U.S., with New Mexico seeing the highest rate of 36.2 per 100,000 residents.
States on the East Coast and in the South tend to have lower rates of alcohol-induced mortality the data shows.
Anna Kleiber can be reached at akleiber@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin’s alcohol-induced death rate declined since pandemic spike