Germans drink significantly more alcohol on average than people in other OECD countries. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's ‘Health at a Glance’ report, published on Thursday in Paris, Germans aged 15 and over consume an average of around 11 litres of pure alcohol per year. The average for all 38 OECD countries is nine litres of pure alcohol.
Alcohol consumption is one of the few health factors in which Germany performs worse than other OECD countries. This also includes the assessment of one's own health: 11% of the population aged 15 and over in Germany complain of health problems, three points more than the OECD average.
Life expectancy in Germany, at 81.1 years, is exactly in line with the average for OECD countries. Germany also spends significantly more on health than the other member countries, namely around €8,000 per capita. The OECD average is around €4,900. According to the study, OECD countries spend a total of 9.3 per cent of their gross domestic product on healthcare, while in Germany the figure is 12.3%.
The organization expects healthcare spending to rise by around 1.5% by 2045. This is due to better technologies, higher expectations and an ageing population.
Meanwhile, the proportion of overweight people in four out of five OECD countries has continued to rise between 2013 and 2023. Overall, 54% of people are now overweight or obese. ‘Preventive health measures can be a cost-effective way to reduce key risk factors such as obesity, smoking and harmful alcohol consumption,’ said OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) comprises 38 members, which are among the wealthier countries in the world.
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