According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of people in Germany who require in-patient hospital treatment due to alcohol abuse has continued to decline in recent years. In 2023, approximately 62,000 patients were hospitalized for acute alcohol poisoning, a decrease of 46.5% over a ten-year period. In 2013, there were still 116,500 people with this diagnosis admitted to a hospital, the lowest number since 2001.
Men are more likely to abuse alcohol, according to the statistics, with nearly 43,000 patients, or about 70%, being male in 2023. This trend is evident across almost all age groups, with the exception of the 10- to 14-year-old group, where the proportion of boys is only 34.3%. In the 40- to 44-year-old group, the gender disparity is the most pronounced, with a male proportion of 73.9%.
The number of cases in the 15- to 19-year-old group also decreased by around 70% over the decade, to approximately 7,800 adolescents. This age group still accounts for the most in-patient treatment cases due to acute alcohol abuse, followed by the 40- to 44-year-old group, with 6,400 cases.
The per capita data also highlights the varying impact of alcohol abuse on different age groups. The 15- to 19-year-old group had the highest rate, with approximately 197 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the 40- to 44-year-old group had a rate of around 116 per 100,000.