Fewer young people are drinking alcohol
However, binge drinking remains at a high level
Fewer and fewer adolescents and young adults are drinking alcohol—and they’re starting later. This is shown by the latest data from the BIÖG’s 2025 Drug Affinity Study. Weekly alcohol consumption among young people is at a historic low. However, the picture is mixed when it comes to binge drinking: it has declined significantly among young women, while it remains widespread among adolescents and young men. Targeted prevention efforts therefore remain important to curb risky drinking patterns.
Fewer and fewer adolescents and young adults are drinking alcohol, and the average age at which they have their first drink has risen—as shown by data from the 2025 Drug Affinity Study on alcohol consumption among young people in Germany, published today by the Federal Institute for Public Health. Particularly striking: Compared to the previous survey in 2023, fewer young women consumed alcohol, and there was also a significant decline in binge drinking among them. Among adolescents and young men, however, binge drinking remained at a high level.
Selected data from the Drug Affinity Study
Fewer and fewer 12- to 17-year-olds are trying alcohol:
- In 2025, 60.7 percent of male adolescents and 57.0 percent of female adolescents had consumed alcohol at least once in their lives. That is about one-third fewer than in 2001 (male: 88.3%; female: 85.5%).
Fewer 12- to 17-year-olds and fewer young adults aged 18 to 25 are currently consuming alcohol. The proportion of those who have consumed alcohol within the last 30 days has declined:
- Among 12- to 17-year-olds, the 30-day prevalence rate fell from 58.4 percent in 2004 to 32.9 percent in 2025.
- Among 18- to 25-year-olds, the rates decreased from 84.4 percent (2004) to 69.3 percent (2025).
Binge drinking—that is, consuming large amounts of alcohol on a single occasion—is declining only among young women:
- In 2025, just under 15 percent of adolescents had engaged in binge drinking in the 30 days prior to the survey (male adolescents: 14.8%, female adolescents: 14.7%). Thus, binge drinking was about as widespread as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Among young men, too, binge drinking (2025: 45.8%) changed only slightly over time. Among young women, however, there was a statistically significant decline to 26.1 percent between 2023 and 2025. Previously, the rates—with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic—had always been 30 percent or higher.
Binge drinking is particularly risky for young people because their brains and bodies are still developing. Alcohol can disrupt these processes and simultaneously increase the risk of accidents, injuries, and risky behavior. This is because the brain is not yet fully mature at age 18: Important developmental processes continue until at least the early 20s, and alcohol can interfere with them.
Weekly alcohol consumption continues to decline across all groups:
- There has been a positive trend in the proportion of adolescents and young adults who have consumed alcohol weekly in the past twelve months. These proportions have decreased significantly and reached a historic low in 2025, at 6.8 percent among adolescents and 25.0 percent among young adults.
The latest study data also show that young people are starting to drink later today than they did 20 years ago: The average age at which young people drink their first glass of alcohol has risen from 14.1 years in 2004 to 15.1 years in 2025.
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck, Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues: “Things are moving in the right direction. Young people drink less frequently today, they start drinking later, and regular consumption is at a historic low. That is encouraging. However, it would be wrong to conclude that the all-clear has been given. Especially when it comes to binge drinking, we see that risky alcohol consumption remains widespread among adolescents and young men.
Alcohol affects young people at a stage of life when their brains and bodies are still developing. That is why our rules must reflect what we know today about these risks. The abolition of supervised drinking for 14-year-olds is therefore a long-overdue step. In my view, this practice is no longer appropriate. Protecting young people must be particularly clear where health risks are especially high.”
Dr. Johannes Nießen, Acting Director of the Federal Institute for Public Health: “The data show that prevention works—but it does not reach all young people equally. The decline in binge drinking among young women is particularly encouraging. Among adolescents and young men, however, risky alcohol consumption remains an issue. That’s why we’re starting early: With ‘Klar bleiben,’ we reach school classes directly; through our digital resources, we provide clear information about risks and support young people in making good decisions. At the same time, we help local communities effectively implement alcohol prevention programs on the ground through Vortiv.”
BIÖG study “Drug Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Germany 2025”
Since 1973, the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG, formerly BZgA) has been studying substance use among adolescents and young adults in Germany through repeated representative surveys. For the 2025 Drug Affinity Study, 7,001 young people aged 12 to 25 were surveyed between April and July 2025.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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