Portugal: Average pure alcohol consumption estimated at 12 litres per year

Portuguese citizens annually consume an average of 12 litres of pure alcohol, one of the highest records in the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

According to the study “Prevent Harmful Use of Alcohol”, the average in Portugal considers people aged 15 or over and the 12 litres of pure alcohol consumed are the equivalent of two and a half bottles of wine or 4.6 litres of beer per week, The Portugal News reported on May 21.

According to the analysis carried out in 52 countries, “men consume 19.4 litres of pure alcohol per capita per year, while women consume 5.6 litres”.

Among OECD countries, the average consumption is 10 litres of pure alcohol per person per year.

In Portugal, the price of alcoholic beverages is considered low, so it is recommended to set minimum prices, reads the study.

According to the study, Portugal should invest €1.60 per citizen in a set of measures to combat the excessive use of alcohol, in order to prevent by 2050 “542,000 thousand diseases and injuries”, “save €45 million a year in health care costs” and increase employment and productivity by the equivalent of 6,000 full-time workers a year.

“For every euro invested in this package of measures, €16 will be returned in benefits, without considering any impact on the alcohol industry”, highlighted the report.

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