Hungarians drink beer

44% of our citizens never drink alcohol – according to a survey by GfK made in 2008 autumn.

 To study the issue, the Wall Street Journal asked market-research
firm GfK to poll Europeans about their drinking habits. In 13
European Union countries, plus the U.S., Russia, Turkey and
Switzerland, GfK asked more than 17,000 people to describe how often
they drink, what they drink and how alcohol affects their lives.

Specialists said more Hungarians said they are teetotalers as the
true. The average European outcome was 32%. Hungarian women are more
moderate drinkers than men, according to the data. 59% of women said
they never drink, while only 28% of male respondents said they are
teetotalers. 45% of Hungarians said they only drink once a week or
less often. It is close to East-European average.

The survey showed that while young people in most European
countries are drinking less frequently than their parents and
grandparents, they are consuming more alcohol each time they drink.

Europe's relationship with alcohol is
changing. Countries like France and Italy, where good wine is
considered a birthright, are seeing a surge in beer drinking among
young people. In many countries, the traditional glass or two at
mealtimes is giving way to a new culture of binge drinking.

The survey suggested that drinkers
generally shift to wine from beer as they get older. But France and
Italy, where the overall survey results showed wine is still more
popular than beer, soon could follow other classical wine regions
such as Spain and Portugal, where beer drinking has overtaken wine.
In Hungary the share of beer drinker is 45% only 35% said they drink
better wine.

In historically beer-making countries, including the U.K., Belgium
and the Netherlands, drinkers now prefer wine to beer, the survey
showed. In Russia, where vodka is supposed to flow like water, 35% of
drinkers say their favorite drink is beer, while just as many
respondents (30%) say they prefer wine as do hard liquor.