Which European countries drink more at home?

Which countries spend more on alcoholic beverages for home consumption? What are the main differences in drinking habits between European countries? At Padró & Co. we asked ourselves these questions and found the answer in a recent survey carried out by the EU’s stats office, Eurostat. So here are the main results. Read to the end before drawing any hasty conclusions!

If we look at the percentage of household spending on alcohol, we see that the Baltic countries lead the ranking and do so prominently: 5.6% of the household budget in Estonia, 4.8% in Latvia and 4.2% in Lithuania is spent on alcohol. Pretty high if we consider that only 1.6% of the average domestic budget in Europe is spent on alcohol.

Next in line are the Czech Republic and Poland (both with 3.6%), followed by Hungary and Finland (both with 2.9%).

And what about Spain? Eutostat’s data places it as the country with the lowest proportion of household spending on alcoholic beverages (0.8%). Does this mean that Spain consumes less alcohol? Actually no. It simply highlights one important aspect of the society: in Spain people drink in bars and restaurants more than in any other European country (in fact, Spain comes top there… doubling the European average!).

Weather, traditions and social behaviour in each European country mark the differences when it comes to alcohol consumption. This also explains why Greece and Italy (0.9% in both cases) are at the lower end of the household spending on alcoholic beverages. So the equation is clear: Mediterranean countries…low household spending and high consumption in bars and restaurants.

Whether you live in the warmer climes of the Mediterranean or in the chillier north, our Padró & Co. vermouths are perfect for you: ideal companions on a sunny midday terrace… but also in the evening, at home out of the cold and beside a roaring fire.