Romania, champion of alcohol consumption in the EU: 12.3 liters per capita. At what age do minors start drinking?
Romania has become the unwanted leader in the EU in alcohol consumption, far exceeding the European average. The new OECD report highlights not only the high level of consumption among adults, but also the ever-lower age at which minors start consuming alcohol.
The number of girls who consume alcohol has increased. PHOTO: archive
A new OECD report, published in 2025, shows that, in 2023, Romania ranks first in the European Union in terms of alcohol consumption, with 12.3 liters of pure alcohol per capita, well above the average of 8.5 liters reported at the level of member countries.
While some European states have managed to substantially reduce alcohol consumption in the last decade, Romania is among the few countries where the level has increased, exceeding the 2013 values by more than 2 liters, while Greece is at the opposite extreme, with only 6.6 liters per person, followed by Belgium and Lithuania, where the reduction exceeded 2.5 liters.
Europeans and alcohol
The report points out that the European Union remains the region with the highest alcohol consumption in the world, and the consequences are visible in public health statistics. Alcohol continues to be associated with an increased risk of oral, oesophageal, liver, colorectal or breast cancer, and the WHO warns that the link between excessive consumption and cancer mortality is increasingly evident.
In addition to annual consumption, the study also looks at binge drinking episodes. In OECD countries, 27% of people over 15 said they get drunk at least once a month. Greece, Ireland and Sweden pass the 40% mark, while Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia stay below 15%.
Romania is in the upper part of the ranking, with percentages close to the European average, but increasing among certain categories.
The age at which minors start drinking alcohol has decreased
A major problem highlighted by the report is the early onset of use among minors. In OECD countries, the percentage of 11-year-olds who drink alcohol increased from 4% to 5% between 2018 and 2022.
Romania is among the states with alarming levels, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and France, where more than 10% of 11-year-olds drank alcohol in the last month.
As they get older, the difference becomes even more worrying: at 13, 15% of children admit to recent drinking, and at 15, in some European countries, repeated drinking to the point of intoxication exceeds 35%. Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria are the most affected, while Portugal manages to maintain a low level, below 10%.
From this point of view, Romania is in the average zone, but with significantly higher values than countries such as Ireland or France.
More and more girls are drinking alcohol
Differences between girls and boys persist, although trends are evolving. The proportion of 15-year-old boys who have gotten drunk repeatedly remains higher than that of girls, but at OECD level, binge drinking among teenage girls is on the rise: the percentage has risen from 19% in 2018 to 22% in 2022.
Romania follows the same pattern, with values above countries such as Portugal, Ireland or France, but below the alarming levels in Denmark or Bulgaria.
