Some people can’t enjoy their meal without wine, others only drink alcohol to get drunk. Europeans’ drinking habits are diverse. An overview of where, what and how much is drunk.
Germany is a beer nation, in France no meal is served without wine and the Scandinavian north keeps warm with schnapps – these are the clichés. But are they still true? An international team of researchers has now worked out where, what and how much was drunk in Europe between 2000 and 2019 in a study based on criteria from the World Health Organization.
A frequently quoted piece of advice is: “Don’t drink beer after wine. I advise you to drink wine after beer.” The Swedes have done it the other way round. As a typical country of wine drinkers, the Scandinavian people briefly tried their hand at being a beer nation, only to then switch back to wine – and all this within five years, between 2010 and 2015. The Swedes’ drinking habits now put them back in the so-called Mediterranean cluster, like the French mentioned above and also the Italians, Greeks and Portuguese. These countries have the highest wine consumption in Europe. It is usually drunk with meals, otherwise alcohol is consumed more sparingly. These countries have the lowest overall consumption in Europe.
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The Spanish, who swapped wine for beer at the same time as the Swedes, have stuck with it and are now part of the beer nations. Germany’s status as a beer country is also confirmed by the study. The Netherlands, Slovenia, Austria, Denmark, Belgium and Norway are also assigned to this cluster. If alcohol is consumed there, it is primarily beer. Strong liquor is served relatively rarely.
In contrast to the countries in the Mediterranean cluster, where people tend to drink for pleasure rather than heavily, alcohol consumption in typical beer countries often ends in intoxication. However, people drink themselves into a coma most often in Finland, Malta, Ireland, Iceland and Luxembourg. Across Europe, these are also the countries where excessive alcohol consumption is most common.
Nowhere else is more spirits and alcohol consumed in general than in the Baltic States. According to the study results, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are, after Ukraine, the countries where the most frequent links between heavy alcohol consumption and alcohol-related health damage and deaths were found.
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
