Young people in Spain are drinking significantly less alcohol than their counterparts did two decades ago, according to a new report published by the Ministry of Health.

The study, based on data from the Spanish Health Survey, found that regular alcohol consumption among 15 to 24-year-olds has fallen from 43.8% to 17.9% over the past 20 years.

The drop of almost 60% is the largest recorded across all age groups analysed.

The report also found a decline in alcohol consumption across the wider population. In 2023, 31.1% of people said they drank alcohol at least once a week, compared with 48.4% in 2006.

While overall alcohol consumption has fallen, health officials warn that patterns of heavy drinking remain common.

Among regular drinkers, alcohol consumption is increasingly concentrated at weekends, when average intake can be up to three times higher than on weekdays.

In 2023, 16.7% of the population reported at least one episode of heavy drinking during the previous 12 months.

This behaviour remains more common among men, although increases have been observed among adults aged between 25 and 64, as well as in some groups of younger women.

The report examined alcohol consumption according to age, sex, education level, employment status and social class.

Men continue to report higher levels of alcohol consumption overall. Riskier drinking patterns were found to be more common among people with lower educational attainment, those who are unemployed and retired individuals.

Among women, however, the trend was different. Those with university-level education, employment and higher socio-economic status were more likely to report episodes of intensive alcohol consumption than other female groups.

Beer continues to be the most popular alcoholic beverage across most age groups in Spain.

The report also highlights generational differences in drinking preferences. Wine remains considerably more popular among people aged 65 and over than among younger adults.

Despite Spain’s reputation for its drinking culture, the country ranks among the European Union nations with the highest proportion of non-drinkers.

Around 33.2% of the population said they had not consumed alcohol at all during the previous year.

At the same time, Spain ranks second in the EU for daily alcohol consumption, behind only Portugal, highlighting the contrast between those who abstain completely and those who drink regularly.