Harmful alcohol consumption poses a major threat to population health and can lead to numerous chronic conditions and injuries, as well as alcohol dependence. Specifically, alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers – including mouth, throat, liver, colorectal and breast cancers. Heavy drinkers have an increased risk of cancer compared to non-drinkers (National Cancer Institute, 2025[1]). Alcohol-related harm places a significant economic burden on countries, at an estimated 2.4% of yearly healthcare spending in OECD countries (OECD, 2021[2]).
Alcohol consumption varies significantly across OECD countries. In 2023, per capita annual alcohol consumption averaged 8.5 litres of pure alcohol across OECD countries (Figure 4.10). Countries with the lowest consumption, including Türkiye and accession country Indonesia, averaged below 2 litres annually. In contrast, those with the highest consumption, including Latvia and Portugal and accession country Romania, reached over 11.5 litres annually. Nearly a third of OECD countries recorded per capita consumption of 10 litres or more.
Over the past decade, most countries have seen a decrease in alcohol consumption. Between 2013 and 2023, Belgium and Lithuania as well as partner country China reported the largest declines in alcohol consumption, with reductions of 2.5 litres or more. Conversely, the largest increases were recorded in Mexico, Portugal and Spain as well as accession country Romania, where yearly alcohol consumption per capita rose by 2 litres or more over the period.
Heavy episodic drinking constitutes a highly risky drinking behaviour, which corresponds to consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time. In 2023, 27% of people aged 15 and over reported heavy episodic drinking at least monthly in the past year on average across the 27 OECD countries with available data (Figure 4.11). Greece, Ireland and Sweden reported the highest rates, with over 40% of individuals reporting monthly binge drinking. Hungary, Israel and Slovenia as well as accession country Croatia reported the lowest rates (below 15%).
To address harmful drinking, a whole‑of-society approach is required, recognising that not just governments but all stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, can play a role and contribute to better health outcomes related to harmful drinking. A variety of measures, ranging from population-wide initiatives targeting all alcohol consumers to targeted interventions for those reporting harmful drinking, can have an impact on health outcomes (OECD, 2021[2]). OECD countries have implemented policies to reduce the accessibility and availability of alcohol – such as advertising restrictions or bans in specific venues such as cinemas – or complete advertisement bans, as in Norway. To make alcohol less affordable, some countries have introduced minimum unit pricing, fixing a minimum price per standard unit in addition to taxation. In 2022, Ireland implemented a minimum unit price of EUR 1 per standard drink, while Scotland and Wales (United Kingdom), introduced comparable minimum unit pricing on alcoholic beverages (Sheffield Addictions Research Group, 2024[3]). Additional measures, such as public campaigns and warning labels, aim to enhance risk awareness. Recently, Ireland adopted a regulation requiring warning labels to be included on all alcoholic beverages from 2028.
