Czech Households Spend More Than Twice on Alcohol Than the Average European

In 2019, households in the EU spent EUR 117 billion (equivalent to 0.8% of EU GDP) on ‘alcoholic beverages’. This represents 1.6% of their total consumption expenditure, the latest Eurostat survey says.

The study does not include though alcoholic beverages paid for in restaurants and hotels.

The share of total consumption expenditure spent on alcoholic beverages was the highest in the three Baltic States: Latvia (4.8%), Estonia (4.7%), and Lithuania (3.7%). The Czech Republic ranks fourth (3.4%).

Czechs spent CZK 93.4 billion on alcoholic beverages in 2019, compared to CZK 89.2 billion in 2018 and CZK 78.7 billion in 2o17.

By far, most of the alcohol purchased in Czech stores is consumed in the form of beer.

According to Eurostat data, Czechs spent nearly CZK 180 billion in restaurants, pubs, and cafes last year. Their expenses in restaurants, pubs, and cafes are growing much faster than expenses for alcoholic beverages in shops.

Interestingly, in Latvia and Lithuania, the amount spent on alcohol decreased in the last ten years. In 2009, for example, the numbers were 5.5 and 6.3 pc of the household expenditure in the case of these two countries.

At the other end of the spectrum, the figure stood below 1% in Greece and Italy (each 0.9%).

Household expenditure on alcohol increased in seven EU Member States with the largest increases recorded in Romania (from 2.1% of total household expenditure in 2009 to 2.6% in 2019, +0.5 pp) and Portugal (from 1.1% of total household expenditure in 2009 to 1.4% in 2019, +0.3 pp).

In six EU Member States – Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Slovenia – this share remained stable.