French men still drink a lot of alcohol, but less than in the past, while women tend to overtake them when it comes to “excessive occasional drinking”, a study by health authorities published today reveals.

According to the latest survey by the Public Health Service in France, which covers 2021, long-term trends reveal “a very significant drop in declared daily consumption in recent decades”, which is reflected in sales figures.

For decades, the weekly and daily consumption of the French has been declining.

The share of weekly consumers, which was 62.6% in 2000, was only 39% in 2021.

And the proportion of adults who drank alcohol daily rose to 8% in 2021 from 21.5% in 2000, according to a study based on self-reported data.

Driven by the decline in wine consumption, the trend is a result of cultural developments and the implementation of public policies, such as the Evan Law of 1991 advertising of tobacco products and alcohol on television and cinema), explains the French Public Health Service.

As already observed in 2017, average alcohol consumption still varies significantly by age. Thus, younger people drink less often, but when they do, they consume larger amounts of alcoholic beverages than older people.