Special Report

New Year's Eve by the Numbers

New Year’s Eve ranks as the sixth most favorite holiday among Americans. An estimated 92% of U.S. adults celebrate the holiday, and roughly 70% of Americans plan to stay up past midnight as they welcome the new year. Cities around the world throw public celebrations attended by hundreds of thousands of New Year’s revelers, with the ball drop in Times Square attracting more than 1 million partygoers each year.

New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest party nights of the year. Half of all adults celebrating the holiday spend it with people other than family, and 1 in 5 adults spend the night at a restaurant, bar, club, or other establishment. An estimated 54% of drinking Americans 21 and older plan on consuming liquor on New Year’s Eve — the most of any holiday — and viewership of the “hangover” Wikipedia page increases more than four-fold on Jan. 1 from the year-round daily average.

New Year’s Eve is also a time of reflection, both on the events of the past 12 months and goals for the coming year. Some 41% of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, which typically revolve around healthy eating, weight loss, self improvement, financial health, and quitting smoking. While many Americans attempt to make good on their resolutions early in the year — Google searches for “gym memberships” peak in first week of January every year — just 1 in 10 Americans believe they have been successful in achieving their New Year’s goals.

In anticipation of the big day, 24/7 Wall St. took a look at New Year’s Eve by the numbers. We compiled 30 interesting statistics related to eating, drinking, entertainment, travel, spending, resolutions, and more surrounding New Year’s Eve. Data was compiled from original research, as well as sources such as the Harris Poll, Times Square Alliance, National Weather Service, AAA, and Nielsen.

Click here to see the full list.

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