Catalans Begin Drinking Alcohol at 13.9 Years, Study Reveals
A recent report from Spain’s Health Ministry, titled ESTUDES 2025, highlights that young people in Catalonia start consuming alcohol at an average age of 13.9 years.
Among those aged 14 to 18, half admitted to drinking alcoholic beverages in the past month. The survey gathered responses from 2,690 students in Catalonia and is part of a nationwide study that included 35,256 high school participants.
Main Findings
- 73.1% of Catalan youth have tried alcohol at least once.
- 51.3% reported drinking within the last month.
- Alcohol consumption is slightly more frequent among young women (73.9%) than men (72.4%).
- 41.5% of respondents said they had been drunk at least once, including 17.4% during the month before the survey.
Comparison Across Spain
Nationally, 73.9% of students said they have tasted alcohol, a two-point drop from 2023, when 75.9% had done so. The average starting age for drinking matches the Spanish mean.
Tobacco and Cannabis Use
Catalan youths begin smoking tobacco later than the national average, at 14.5 years, and typically start trying cannabis around age 15.
- 26.7% have smoked at least once, slightly below the Spanish average of 27.3%.
- 21.1% reported smoking during the past year.
“Catalans are starting to drink alcohol at an average age of 13.9 years, and half of those aged between 14 and 18 years acknowledge having consumed alcoholic beverages during the last month,” stated the Health Ministry’s ESTUDES 2025 study.
Author’s summary: A national health survey shows Catalan teenagers begin drinking at 13.9 years, mirroring Spain’s average, though their tobacco and cannabis use begins slightly later.