Switzerland: Alcohol consumption in Switzerland falls to lowest level for 70 years

The Local

August 25, 2017

The Swiss population drank 7.9 litres of pure alcohol per person in 2016, down from 8.1 litres the previous year and the lowest amount since the Second World War, the federal alcohol regulator (EAV) said on Thursday.

The figures show a continuation of a long-term trend towards drinking less alcohol, the body said.

In terms of pure alcohol, wine made up half of the total, followed by beer, spirits and cider.

However when considering the quantities in terms of litres of alcoholic beverages, beer was the most popular drink, with 54.9 litres per person consumed over the year, compared with 33.8 litres of wine per person.

In total, 4.6 million hectolitres of beer was drunk in Switzerland last year. The majority of that was produced domestically, with only 26 percent imported.

The Swiss beer scene has exploded in recent years, with numerous new microbreweries and beer festivals popping up across the country.

The figures confirm the increasing trend towards domestic, artisan beers, with a record 753 microbreweries now registered in Switzerland, up from 623 the previous year.

In contrast, domestic production of spirits fell in 2016 while imports grew four percent to make up around 80 percent of the total spirits market.