Overall, 70 per cent of 15-year-olds living in the most affluent areas reported having drunk alcohol, compared with 50 per cent of those in the most deprived areas.
Brighton and Hove had the highest levels of teens who had been drunk in the previous month, with 27 per cent of 15-year-olds drinking admitting this, compared with just 2.6 per cent in Newham.
Ten per cent of children had their first drink before the age of 12, while the average age for first drink was 13.
Tom Smith, Director of Campaigns at Alcohol Concern, said those living in middle-class areas were more likely to drink alcohol because their parents were more likely to introduce them to it.
"Studies have shown that parents are often the main source of alcohol for underage drinkers," he said. "Many parents mistakenly believe that introducing children to alcohol early, in a safe and controlled environment at home is the right thing to do, but all the research indicates that the younger someone starts drinking, the more likely they are to have problems with alcohol in later life.
"All the evidence suggests that the safest thing parents can do is set clear rules and boundaries for their children about alcohol, and give them an alcohol-free childhood," he said.
Ten per cent of children had their first drink before the age of 12, while the average age for first drink was 13, the survey found.
Children who had their first drink younger were far more likely to be regular drinkers by the age of 15, the research found.
Three per cent of teenagers had taken their first alcoholic drink before the age of 10. Of these, 28 per cent were regular drinkers by the age of 15. Among those who had their first drink around the age of 15, just 3 per cent were regular drinkers.
Previous research among different social groups has found that most of those in the ABC1 economic group thought it was "inevitable" that their teenage children would drink.
While some of the teen drinking might be explained by children raiding well-stocked drinks cabinets, or persuading older siblings to buy drinks on their behalf, many more were being allowed to drink by parents, experts suggested.
Teenagers were asked about their activity and lifestyles in a poll of 72 questions carried out on behalf of the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
The findings show girls were twice as likely as boys to think they are fat, with 46 per cent of girls stating this, compared with 23 per cent of boys.
Boys were far more likely to think they were too thin, with 18 per cent stating this, compared with 8 per cent of girls.
Lucie Russell, director of campaigns and media at charity Young Minds, said: "These figures are yet further evidence of the pressure cooker environment children and young people are growing up in and in particular the pernicious effect the online world has in affecting their self-esteem when exposed to cyber-bullying or negative body images. As this report shows girls in particular are feeling intense pressure but boys are suffering too.
"We have to build the capacity for all children and young people to navigate through their childhoods successfully so they can grow up healthy and happy."
An NSPCC spokesman said: "The impact of bullying on young people is devastating and can last a lifetime. Cyber-bullying can be especially torturous as it's not possible to escape; a child can be bullied in their own home, often by anonymous predators, who hide behind the internet. Online bullying is abuse and we must not allow it to become a standard part of young people's lives.
"This comes at a time when Childline has seen a very worrying rise in the number of counselling sessions to young people suffering from body image issues and eating disorders - the majority girls - rising by 15 % and 21% in the past year respectively. We must be alert to the issues young girls are facing today - there is no denying there is a growing pressure to look a certain way and they are struggling to cope."
Paul Niblett, Responsible Statistician from HSCIC said: "Today's report shows that more than half of 15-year olds in England have experienced some form of bullying in the last couple of months, with girls being more likely to report this. Girls were also twice as likely as boys to report experiencing cyber-bullying."
"Forms of psychological bullying were more common than physical bullying or cyber-bullying. Just over a third (34 per cent) of 15-year olds reported that they had been called mean names, made fun of or were teased in a hurtful way in the last couple of months."
"Just under a third (30 per cent) reported they had experienced people telling lies or spreading false rumours about them and trying to make others dislike them."
While physical abuse was the least likely type of bullying to be reported, it was more common among boys than girls, he said, with 11 per cent of boys reporting being hit, kicked, pushed, shoved around, or locked indoors at least once, compared with 7 per cent of girls.
In general, the research found that boys report having a higher level of health and wellbeing than girls, he said.
