Fewer people classified as heavy or excessive drinkers in NL

Fewer people in the Netherlands are now classed as heavy or excessive drinkers, and their number is now less than half the level recorded in 2001, campaign group Stiva said on Wednesday.

In 2025, 6.7% of adults were classified as heavy drinkers, down from 7.2% in 2024 and 7.9% in 2023.

Men are considered heavy drinkers if they have six or more glasses of alcohol on one occasion at least once a week, while for women the threshold is four glasses. Excessive drinking is defined as more than 21 glasses a week for men and more than 14 for women. Some 5.5% of adults fall into this category.

Just over three-quarters of adults in 2025 said they drank alcohol, compared with over 80% 10years ago.  Alcohol use among under-18s has also more than halved since 2003.

Stiva said the figures show the Netherlands is on track to meet the targets in the national prevention agreement, which aims to reduce both heavy and excessive drinking to 5% or less of the adult population by 2040.

The organisation says the decline reflects a long-term policy combining a tougher approach to age limits, campaigns encouraging moderation and restrictions on alcohol advertising.