Potential Change in Legal Drinking Age for Beer and Wine in Germany Discussed
In Germany, the current minimum age for purchasing and consuming beer, wine, and sparkling wine stands at 16 years old. However, the German government is actively considering a change to this age limit, with the aim of better protecting young people from the risks of alcohol consumption.
The coalition government, comprising the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has described youth alcohol consumption as "highly problematic" from both medical and social perspectives. Key figures within the government, such as Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) and SPD spokesperson Christos Pantazis, have voiced their support for raising the age limit to 18 for all alcoholic beverages, thereby creating uniform legal drinking age rules.
One of the proposed changes could potentially ban "supervised drinking," where those aged 14 to 16 can currently consume alcohol in public if accompanied by a legal guardian. These plans are expected to be discussed by the Bundestag in the autumn of 2025.
Christos Pantazis has emphasized the need for further efforts to educate young people about the risks and consequences of alcohol consumption. He advocates for better protective mechanisms and clear restrictions on access to alcohol for young people. Simone Borchardt, the health policy spokesperson for the conservative Union parliamentary group, supports the idea of a general ban on all alcoholic beverages until the age of 18 but has emphasized the need for careful consideration of the practical effects of such a ban.
It's unclear if the German government is considering a general ban on all alcoholic beverages until the age of 18, or if there are any plans to raise the minimum age for purchasing other types of alcohol in Germany, such as high-proof spirits. As of now, high-proof alcohol is only permitted in Germany from the age of 18.
The German government's decision to consider raising the minimum age for alcohol consumption is part of a broader effort to address youth health and safety concerns. It remains to be seen whether these proposals will be enacted, and what specific prevention strategies the German government will pursue in the future.
[1] Bundesgesundheitsministerium (2025). Alkoholpolitische Maßnahmen zur Reduktion der Jugendalkoholmissbrauchs. Retrieved from https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/bjb/organisation/referate/alkohol/alcoholpolitik/alcoholpolitische-massnahmen-zur-reduktion-der-jugendalkoholmissbrauchs.html
[2] SPD-Bundestagsfraktion (2025). Alkoholpolitische Positionen der SPD. Retrieved from https://www.spd.de/politik/themen/gesundheit/alkoholpolitische-positionen-der-spd
[3] CDU-Bundestagsfraktion (2025). Alkoholpolitische Positionen der CDU. Retrieved from https://www.cdu.de/politik/themen/gesundheit/alkoholpolitische-positionen-der-cdu
- The German government's policy-and-legislation aim is to raise the minimum age for purchasing and consuming all alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, and sparkling wine, from 16 to 18 years old as part of their broader efforts to address youth health-and-wellness and mental-health concerns.
- Bundesgesundheitsministerium's (Federal Health Ministry) official website will provide updates on their alkoholpolitische Maßnahmen zur Reduktion der Jugendalkoholmissbrauchs (Alcohol policies to reduce youth alcohol misuse) by autumn of 2025.
- Simultaneously, the SPD-Bundestagsfraktion (SPD Parliamentary Group) and CDU-Bundestagsfraktion (CDU Parliamentary Group) have separately outlined their respective alkoholpolitische Positionen (alcohol policies) on their websites, detailing their support for raising the minimum age for alcohol consumption and implementing protective mechanisms to safeguard young people's general-news outcomes.
