Weekly alcohol use among young Germans falls to historic lows

Young people in Germany are drinking juice and alcohol-free cocktails more often, while regular alcohol use continues to decline, according to a new industry-backed survey and separate public health data that together point to a shift in everyday drinking habits.

A YouGov online survey commissioned by the German Fruit Juice Industry Association found that 42% of respondents ages 16 to 26 said in July 2026 that they drink fruit juice daily or several times a week. In the previous year’s survey, which covered people ages 16 to 25, the figure was 24.6%. The share of daily juice drinkers rose to 17.6% from 5.8%, while another 24.5% said they drink juice several times a week, up from 18.8%.

The same survey found a sharp increase in regular mocktail consumption. According to the results, 78.3% of respondents said they had tried a nonalcoholic cocktail, and 25% said they drink them regularly. In the 2025 survey, that figure was 11%. Fruit juice appears to play a central role in that trend. Some 46.2% of respondents said juice is an important part of a mocktail, and 35.1% said fruit juice plays a major role in their lives, up from 21.7% a year earlier.

The findings come as official German health data show alcohol losing ground among younger age groups. The Federal Institute for Public Health, known by its German initials BIÖG, said in its drug affinity study published in September 2026 that weekly alcohol consumption in 2025 fell to 6.8% among 12- to 17-year-olds and to 25% among 18- to 25-year-olds. The institute described both readings as historic lows.

The BIÖG study also found that people are starting to drink alcohol later than in the past. The average age at which respondents had their first alcoholic drink rose to 15.1 years in 2025 from 14.1 years in 2004. Over the same period, the share of 12- to 17-year-olds who said they had consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days dropped to 32.9% from 58.4%. Among 18- to 25-year-olds, the figure fell to 69.3% from 84.4%.

Taken together, the two sets of data suggest that nonalcoholic drinks are becoming more established in the daily routines of younger Germans. The surveys were conducted independently and use different methods, so they do not measure the same behavior in the same way. Still, both point in the same direction: less frequent regular alcohol use and greater acceptance of alternatives such as juice and mocktails.

The YouGov research was based on two online surveys. The first, conducted in July 2025, included 751 people ages 16 to 25. The second, conducted in July 2026, included 757 people ages 16 to 26. The results were quota-based by age and gender and then weighted, and the association said they are representative of Generation Z in Germany. Because the age range changed slightly between the two years, direct comparisons should be read with some caution, even though the reported movement was clearly upward for juice and mocktails.

The BIÖG study used a broader sample and a different approach. It surveyed 7,001 people ages 12 to 25 by telephone between April and July 2025. That makes it a separate measure from the YouGov work, but it provides a longer-term view of youth alcohol consumption in Germany.

The trend could matter well beyond the juice category. If younger consumers continue to move toward alcohol-free options, beverage companies, bars, restaurants, and distributors may face stronger demand for nonalcoholic products across menus and retail shelves. That could create more room for alcohol-free cocktail ingredients, low- and no-alcohol lines, and other alternatives as producers of wine, beer, spirits, and soft drinks adjust to changing preferences among the next generation of adult consumers.