Study: Young people in Latvia have started drinking more

A fifth of people in Latvia have started drinking alcohol more often in the last year, while a small minority have quit drinking altogether, according to data from the Stress Thermometer.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, younger people, as well as men, started drinking more often. The Stress Barometer also shows another negative trend: more than half of the people surveyed have experienced a decline in their mental health over the year.

A fifth of respondents do not drink alcohol

The proportion of the population that has started drinking alcohol more frequently has increased by five percent over the year. At the beginning of 2021, 18 percent of the Latvian population surveyed indicated that they had started drinking alcohol more often in the previous year (six percent - a lot more frequently, 12 percent - a little more frequently), while by the beginning of 2022, 23 percent of the population had given this answer.

At the beginning of this year, 39% of respondents indicated that they had not changed their drinking habits, while 14% had drunk less in the last 12 months than before, according to a survey conducted by Benu aptieka in cooperation with Gemius. On the positive side, the Stress Barometer shows that a fifth of people in the survey say they do not drink alcohol at all, and a small proportion (three percent) have quit drinking altogether in the meantime. Comparing this data with the results of the survey a year ago, a higher proportion of the population - almost a quarter - did not drink alcohol at all in 2021.

A tenth of men drink alcohol significantly more often

The Stress Barometer also reveals worrying data: young people have started drinking alcohol more often in the last year, with 41% of 18-24 year olds giving this answer, the highest of any age group. Comparing the results at the beginning of 2022 with the beginning of last year,

the 18-24 age group shows a significant increase in the frequency of drinking, and young people are also more likely than other age groups to report a decline in mental health.

Comparing the results by gender, the sociologists point out that men were generally more likely to start drinking alcohol more frequently during the Covid-19 pandemic, but that the proportion of both men and women drinking alcohol more frequently has now increased compared to the beginning of 2021. In early 2021, 12% of women and 25% of men said they had started drinking more often, compared to 18% of women and 29% of men at the beginning of this year (with a tenth saying they drink significantly more often).

At the same time, men were also more likely to say they drink less than before at the beginning of this year, with 15% of men and 12% of women having reduced their drinking in the last 12 months. A relatively small proportion of men and women quit drinking alcohol during the year - three percent and two percent respectively.

Mental health has also deteriorated

The Stress Barometer shows that more than half of the population has experienced a deterioration in their self-assessed mental health. Comparing data from surveys carried out at different points in time, it can be seen that people are increasingly reporting that their mental health is deteriorating. Analyzing the survey results by gender, women are more likely to report deteriorating mental health, with 55% of women and 50% of men reporting this. 34% of women and 37% of men reported no change in their mental health, while mental health improved for 6% of women and 8% of men. The decline in mental health is more common among younger people, e.g., 56 and 57 percent of 18-24 year olds and 25-34 year olds, respectively, experienced a decline in mental health. In addition, a fifth of respondents believe that their mental health has deteriorated significantly.