Alcohol consumption: Who are the heaviest drinkers in the EU?

Annual alcohol consumption per capita reached an average of 8.5 litres of pure alcohol across OECD countries in 2023, according to the organisation's Health at a Glance 2025 report.

Six EU countries recorded consumption below the average, with Greece reporting the lowest amount, at 6.6 litres per capita.

In contrast, Romania, Portugal and Latvia had the highest consumption, reaching over 11.5 litres annually.

Over the past decade, most countries have seen a decrease in alcohol consumption.

Between 2013 and 2023, Belgium and Lithuania reported the largest declines in alcohol consumption, with reductions of 2.5 litres or more.

On the other hand, the largest increases were recorded in Portugal, Spain and Romania, where yearly alcohol consumption per capita rose by two litres or more over the same period.

The European Union is the subregion with the heaviest alcohol consumption in the world, and where cancer is now also the leading cause of death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, including mouth, throat, liver, colorectal, and breast cancer.

In 2023, 27% of people aged 15 and over consumed large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time at least monthly in the past year on average across the 27 OECD countries.

Greece, Ireland and Sweden reported the highest rates, with more than 40% of individuals reporting monthly binge drinking, while Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia reported the lowest rates (below 15%).

Are people starting to drink earlier?

Across OECD countries, the share of 11-year-olds who drink alcohol increased slightly from 4% to 5% on average between 2018 and 2022.

On average, 5% of 11-year-olds and 15% of 13-year-olds reported drinking alcohol in the last month.

In the EU, the highest rates (10% or more) among 11-year-olds were observed in the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.

Early initiation and repeated alcohol consumption have been associated with worsened mental health conditions such as anxiety, decline in cognitive functions and higher consumption in adulthood, according to the OECD report.

The number of 15-year-olds who repeatedly got drunk reached a high of more than 35% in Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria, while Portugal registered a figure of less than 10%.

Does gender play a role in heavy drinking?

The lifetime prevalence of drunkenness among adolescents has been decreasing on average across OECD countries.

This trend stabilised among boys, with 2019 and 2022 registering it at 22%, while it reversed among girls (rising from 19% in 2018 to 22% in 2022).

However, out of 25 EU countries, there was a higher share of boys than girls reporting being drunk more than once in their lives.

To address underage drinking, many countries have adopted regulatory and preventive strategies aimed at limiting the availability of alcohol and restricting its marketing.

More recently, Belgium adopted a new Alcohol Action Plan 2023-2025, which aims to reduce the availability of alcohol.

The new law bans alcohol sales via automatic vending machines, at service stations along motorways between 22:00 and 07:00, as well as in hospitals.