Romania is the EU Member State with the highest increase in household expenditure on alcohol between 2009 and 2019, according to Eurostat.

In the period 2009-2019, the share of total household expenditure on alcohol decreased in 13 EU Member States with available data, Eurostat said, according to Digi24. The largest decrease was recorded in Lithuania (from 5.5% of total household expenditure in 2009 to 3.7% in 2019, -1.8 percentage points), followed by Latvia (-1.5 pp), Bulgaria (-1.3 pp), and Estonia (-1.1 pp).

On the other hand, 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, Eurostat also said.

In 2019, EU households spent EUR 117 billion (equivalent to 0.8% of EU GDP) on ‘alcoholic beverages.’ This does not include alcoholic beverages paid for in restaurants and hotels.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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