Alcohol Consumption Among Young Adults Falls to Record Low, but Binge Drinking Remains Common Among Men

Regular alcohol consumption among young adults in Germany has fallen to its lowest level since nationwide tracking began, according to the 2025 Drug Affinity Study. The survey, conducted by the Federal Institute for Public Health, found that 34.7% of men and 14.3% of women aged 18 to 25 had drunk alcohol at least once a week during the previous 12 months.

The figures mark the lowest point recorded since the first Drug Affinity Study in 1973. But the decline in regular drinking has not removed concern over binge drinking, which remains widespread, especially among young men.

Among men aged 18 to 25, 45.8% said they had consumed at least five glasses of alcohol on one occasion during the 30 days before the survey. That represented only a slight fall from 46.2% in the previous study. Among young women, the share dropped more sharply, from 32% to 26.1%.

The findings show a split in alcohol behavior among young adults: regular consumption has reached a historic low, while heavy drinking on individual occasions remains common. The figures come from the 2025 survey cited by Die Zeit and dpa.