By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs Editor
The number of teetotal young adults has almost doubled, according to new statistics that show a significant drop in alcohol consumption amongst 16 to 24-year-olds.
The rise is so steep that it has caused an overall increase in the number of adults who do not drink at all, which is now over one fifth.
Young adults are also responsible for a decrease in binge drinking, the figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
The proportion who drank more than eight units of alcohol in one day, in the week before the interview, was down from 18% in 2005 to 15% in 2013.
London had the highest rates of teetotalism, with one third of adults in the capital saying they did not drink at all.
One expert told Sky News that the rise in numbers of teetotal young people was related to the UK's changing demographics.
"It's probably mainly driven by the changing ethnic mix in this country. There are increasing numbers of people who don't drink at all because of religious reasons," said Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of Alcohol Health Alliance.
"But there is also under-reporting. We know that people report in surveys roughly half of what they drink.
"If you look at the Customs and Excise data who know how much we drink, the average drinking adult is drinking roughly 25 units per week. So there's no room for complacency."
There remain concerns about regional variations in drinking patterns.
The figures in London contrast to the north of England and Scotland, where more adults drank and where more were likely to binge drink.
The ONS said alcohol misuse is a leading cause of ill-health in Great Britain, which is estimated to cost the NHS in England approximately £3.5bn every year.
