For the first time, results are presented on the prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence in the United States in 1992, according to the most recent psychiatric classification of alcohol-related disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). More than 7 percent of adults surveyed met DSM-IV criteria for 1-year alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or both. Males were almost three times more likely than females to meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and/or dependence; however, the male-to-female ratio was lowest in the youngest age group among nonblack respondents, suggesting that the rates of these disorders in nonblack females may be catching up.