Over 55 and female? You're likely to be among quarter of British women who are teetotal

If you are a woman over 55 you are far more likely to be teetotal than a man – but there are still those who admit to knocking back a bottle of wine in one sitting. According to a survey of 2,033 people conducted by Harris Interactive for The Grocer, just 14 % of the men surveyed said they were teetotal, compared to 23% of women.

Of those who had given up on alcohol altogether, those in the age range of 25-34 were less likely to have given up alcohol (13%) compared to over 55s (21%).

Men were more likely to exceed the government's recommended maximum weekly units of alcohol, the same survey said. A total of 18% of men compared with 11% of women said they usually drank more than the 14 units per week recommended as a maximum. Additionally, 5% of men and 1% of women said they did so on a daily basis.

Findings of the survey that men may not be entirely surprising given the advice that women should not drink during pregnancy.

Though men typically drink more than women, according to the survey, The Grocer said: "Men are more likely to be trying to moderate their intake than women, suggesting many men – or perhaps their more abstemious wives and girlfriends – are concerned about the amount of drink they're knocking back."

Overall, the research found that 60% of those surveyed drank less than the recommended weekly allowance, which is the equivalent of 10 125ml glasses of 11% ABV wine, or six pints of 4% ABV beer.

However, more Brits that ever were drinking at home with 20% of those surveyed saying they drank a whole bottle of wine by themselves in one sitting.

Earlier this year, the UK Government revised its guidelines on alcohol consumption for the first time since 1995, bringing the limit for men down from 21 to 14 – the same as for a woman.

The new guidance made clear there is no safe level of alcohol consumption and that even by sticking within the guidelines, there was a 1% increase in the risk of dying from alcohol-related causes.