New data from the Federal Statistical Office reveals a significant shift in consumer habits: Alcohol sales in Germany dropped by nearly 50% in January compared to December. The trend, which originated in the UK under the name Dry January, has been gaining traction in Germany, encouraging people to cut back on alcohol consumption after the indulgences of the holiday season.Alcohol consumption in Germany has been steadily decreasing for over four decades. According to the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA), the per capita consumption of pure alcohol for those aged 15 and older has dropped from 15 liters in 1980 to 10 liters in 2020, with a slight uptick to 10.6 liters in 2022. The latest figures indicate that Germans are becoming even more conscious of their alcohol intake, especially at the start of the year.
The Federal Statistical Office, which bases its findings on supermarket scanner data, reported that alcohol sales in January 2024 were 32% lower than the annual average for 2023. At the same time, sales of meat and sweets also saw a noticeable decline, with meat purchases dropping by nearly 30% compared to December. This suggests that many Germans are embracing not only Dry January but also Veganuary, a movement encouraging a plant-based diet for the first month of the year. Despite these developments, Germany remains a high-consumption country when it comes to alcohol. A spokesperson from the BZgA noted that, in an international comparison, Germany still ranks above the EU average. The German Society for Nutrition also highlighted that in 2019, per capita alcohol consumption in Germany was more than twice the global average.