Bulgaria remains among the countries with the highest levels of alcohol consumption in Europe and globally. According to World Health Organization data, the average Bulgarian aged over 15 consumes 11.2 litres of pure alcohol per year. An analysis by the Institute for Market Economics shows that spirits account for the largest share at 5.1 litres, followed by beer with 4.7 litres, wine with 1.2 litres and other alcoholic products with 0.2 litres.
At first sight, these figures may not appear dramatic, but expressed as pure alcohol they translate into much larger quantities. On an annual basis, this equals roughly 188 bottles of 500 ml beer with 5 percent alcohol, about 13 bottles of 750 ml wine at 12 percent, and just over 18 bottles of 700 ml spirits with 40 percent alcohol. Broken down into everyday habits, this corresponds to one beer every second day, a glass of wine every four days and a small glass of spirits almost every two days. Actual consumption is likely higher, as the statistics do not include home-produced alcohol, which is still widespread in Bulgaria.
More concerning are the indicators for high-risk drinking. WHO projections suggest that in 2025 around 9.1 percent of Bulgarians over the age of 15 will fall into the category of heavy continuous drinkers. This group includes people who consume more than 60 ml of pure alcohol daily, equivalent to about 1.2 litres of beer, half a litre of wine or 150 ml of spirits. The share among men is estimated at 16.6 percent, while among women it is significantly lower at 2.1 percent.
The health impact is substantial. Measured through the DALYs indicator, which reflects years of healthy life lost, alcohol use costs Bulgarians an average of 6.4 years per person. Among men the loss reaches 9.5 years, compared to 2.7 years for women. In 2019, alcohol-related mortality stood at 38.9 deaths per 100,000 people, rising to 70.3 among men and 13 among women. Cancer deaths linked to alcohol were reported at 18.9 per 100,000 for men and 4.3 for women. Mortality from liver cirrhosis reached 27.5 per 100,000 among men and 5 among women, while deaths from alcohol-related road accidents stood at 6.8 and 1.4 respectively.
The trend also affects adolescents. Data from the 2024 European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs show that more than 40 percent of Bulgarian students had consumed alcohol before turning 13, and over 14 percent had already experienced intoxication at that age. Nearly one in four students reported drinking alcohol on more than ten occasions during 2024, while more than a quarter consumed alcohol between three and nine times. Access remains easy, with over 73 percent of students saying beer is easy to obtain, 62 percent reporting the same for wine and 56 percent for spirits. This points to weak enforcement of restrictions on alcohol sales to minors.
Economic factors also play a role, particularly excise policy. Bulgaria applies some of the lowest excise duties on alcohol in the European Union. A standard can of beer with 5 percent alcohol is taxed at about 9.6 stotinki, or roughly €0.05. For spirits, the excise duty is around 3.08 leva per 700 ml bottle at 40 percent alcohol, equivalent to about €1.58. Wine is exempt from excise duty altogether, a policy shared by only nine other EU member states. Over the medium term, these rates are expected to rise in line with European practices, which could push prices higher and gradually influence consumption patterns.