Drinking patterns, drinking-at-risk, and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in eight European countries
This publication compares the consumption of alcoholic beverages and preferences among both drinkers, and high-risk drinkers prior to and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across eight European countries. The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of a dataset from 24,946 respondents, 18–90 years old, from eight European countries who reported having consumed any alcoholic beverage during the week prior to an online interview (October– November 2022). Weekly alcohol consumption across countries was between 123.6 and 197.2 g of pure alcohol per person, with a male/female ratio between 1.1:1 and 1.5:1. Thus, for every female drinker, there were about 1.1 to 1.5 male drinkers in most countries. This means that men typically drink more alcoholic beverages than women.
Traditional wine-drinking pattern was confirmed for France, Italy, and Greece, as well as for Great Britain. Prevalence of high-risk drinkers (daily consumption >30 grams for females, >40 grams for males) was highest in Great Britain; M/F ratio was between 1.1:1 and 1.3:1, except in Belgium, Great Britain, and Greece, where the number of female high-risk drinkers outnumbered male high-risk drinkers. Those older than 65 years and those who resided in the countryside were less likely to be high-risk drinkers. Most respondents reported drinking the same amount of wine and beer in 2022 as before the COVID-19 outbreak, with high-risk drinkers increasing their drinking frequency of all types of alcoholic beverages. The results of the analysis confirm a downward trend in alcohol consumption in most European countries. Overall, the gender gap between male and female high-risk drinkers is narrowing or, in some cases, reversing where women are drinking more than men. In 2022, compared with before the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of respondents reported drinking the same number of alcoholic beverages, whereas high-risk drinkers increased the frequency of their drinking.
