Catalans start consuming alcohol at age of 13.9 years, study says

Catalans are starting to drink alcohol at an average age of 13.9 years, and half of those aged between 14 and 18 years old acknowledge having consumed alcoholic beverages during the last month.

A new study published by Spain's Health Ministry, ESTUDES 2025, surveyed 2,690 students aged between 14 and 18 across Catalonia.

According to the available data, 73.1% of Catalan youngsters have tried alcohol, and 51.3% of them had drunk alcohol in the last month. The consumption rate is higher among women, with 73.9%, compared to men's 72.4%.

Added to these figures, the Spanish ministry also reported that 41.5% of those surveyed had been drunk once, and 17.4% during the month before the survey.

Spain conducted 35,256 interviews with high school students aged between 14 and 18, and 73.9% confirmed that they had tasted alcohol at least once. This is a two-percentage-point decrease compared to 2023 figures, which stood at 75.9%.

While the starting age for alcohol consumption among Catalans is the same as the Spanish average, residents in Catalonia are the ones who start smoking tobacco at a later age, 14.5 years, and cannabis, when aged 15 years.

Regarding tobacco, at least 26.7% have smoked, at least once, below the Spanish average of 27.3% and 21.1% have smoked during the last year. While tobacco consumption averages one out of four, the e-cigarette use rate stands at 46.9% for trying it, and 38% over the previous 12 months.