Use and abuse of alcohol

In 2014 the percentage of population aged 11 and over who had consumed at least one alcoholic drink during the year was 63%. This rate has slightly decreased if compared to the previous year (63.9%).

From 2005 to 2014 the number of daily consumers decreased from 31% to 22.1%. The number of people consuming alcohol at least once outside mealtimes has been increasing (from 25.7% in 2005 to 26.9 in 2014) and also the number of occasional consumers (from 38.6% in 2005 to 41% in 2013).

In 2014, 50.5% of people aged 11 and over drink wine, 45.1% drink beer, and 39.9% drink alcoholic aperitifs, digestive liqueurs, spirits or liqueurs.

Overall, risk behaviours in alcohol consumption (no moderate habitual consumption, binge drinking – i.e. to drink six or seven glasses of alcoholic beverages on a single occasion – and alcohol consumption by youths aged 11 to 17) concern 8,265 million person of the overall population (15.2% from 15.9% in 2013).

Groups of population most at risk of no moderate consumption are: the elderly (38% of males and 8.1% of females), the young adult population aged 18-24 (22% of males and 8.7% of females) and the adolescents aged 11-17 (21.5% of males and 17.3% of females).

The population most at risk of binge drinking is the young adult group (aged 18-24), with a 14.5% share (21% of males and 7.6% of females). This behaviour often occurs during socialisation moments .