Portugal has the highest share of residents aged 16 and over who consume alcohol daily in the European Union, according to data released by Eurostat.
In 2025, 16% of Portugal’s population aged 16 and over reported consuming alcohol every day, putting the country well ahead of the rest of the EU.
Italy ranked second, with 7.9%, while Belgium and Denmark jointly took third place at 7.5%. The Netherlands and France also ranked among the EU countries with relatively high levels of alcohol consumption.
Across the European Union as a whole, 4.8% of people aged 16 and over consumed alcohol daily in 2025, Eurostat said on September 28.
A further 19.2% reported drinking alcohol every week, while 21.8% consumed alcohol every month.
Meanwhile, 20.7% of the EU population consumed alcohol less frequently than once a month, while 33.5% either had never consumed alcohol or had not consumed it in 2025.
The data also showed a clear difference between men and women. Alcohol consumption on a daily, weekly or monthly basis was more common among men than women.
In 2025, 56.5% of men in the EU consumed alcohol at least once a month, compared with 35.9% of women.
Daily alcohol consumption also increased significantly with age.
Only 0.8% of people aged between 16 and 24 reported drinking alcohol every day. The share rose among older age groups, reaching 8.9% among people aged 65 and over.
The figures provide a snapshot of alcohol-consumption patterns across the EU in 2025, highlighting substantial differences between countries as well as variations by age and gender.
By Sabina Mammadli
