How healthy are people in Germany?

Germany appears to be in the middle of a health kick. A new sugar tax on soft drinks is due to take effect in 2027, tobacco taxes are set to rise sharply and Deutsche Bahn has introduced a nationwide ban on drinking alcohol at stations.

Taken together, the measures raise an obvious question for anyone living here – how healthy are people in Germany already?

The answer may come as a surprise to many foreign residents shocked by the sight of people routinely drinking out in the open and at all times of the day, and the rows and rows of cigarette packets still on proud display in many shops.

Germans are surprisingly active

One of the strongest findings from recent studies is that Germans tend to be far more physically active than many of their European neighbours.

According to the OECD’s Health at a Glance 2025 report – which compares health outcomes across 38 mostly wealthy industrialised countries – only 15 percent of adults in Germany fail to achieve recommended levels of physical activity.

Across the OECD as a whole, the figure is twice as high, at 30 percent.

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A separate, slightly older European comparison by researchers Cornelia Lange and Jonas Finger found that Germany ranks in the top third of EU countries for physical activity. More than half of German men and nearly half of German women meet World Health Organization recommendations for aerobic exercise.

Germans also tend to remain active as they age. The researchers found that physical activity levels among older Germans hold up much better than the European average.

A healthy country with a well-funded health system

Germany spends considerably more on healthcare than the OECD average, both per person and as a share of national income. Every resident is covered for a core set of healthcare services, and unmet healthcare needs are very low by international standards.

Life expectancy stands at just over 81 years, broadly in line with the OECD average, and obesity rates are lightly below the OECD average.

Germans are also less likely than the average OECD citizen to die from causes that could have been prevented through public health measures or successfully treated through timely healthcare.

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In other words, the overall picture is that of a relatively healthy population supported by well-funded healthcare infrastructure – although Germans themselves don’t always seem to see it that way.

The OECD found that 10.9 percent of Germans rated their health as bad or very bad, compared with an OECD average of 8 percent.

Where Germany struggles

The new government measures arguably start to make more sense when you look at the areas where Germany performs less well.

The most obvious weakness is alcohol.

The OECD found that alcohol consumption in Germany is substantially higher than the OECD average. Germans consume 10.6 litres of alcohol per person each year, compared with an OECD average of 8.5 litres.

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Meanwhile, Lange and Finger found that Germany ranks unusually high in Europe for what researchers call “heavy episodic drinking” (and what most people would call binge drinking).

More than 42 percent of German men and 24 percent of German women reported consuming six or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion at least once a month. The researchers identified this as one of Germany’s most significant public health challenges.

Germans should probably eat more vegetables

Lange and Finger found that Germany sits in the bottom third of EU countries for fruit consumption.

More strikingly, German men ranked last in Europe for daily vegetable consumption in the study, while German women ranked fourth from last.

The researchers concluded that fruit and vegetable consumption in Germany needs to improve, particularly among younger adults and especially among men.

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Germany’s smoking reputation doesn’t tell the whole story

Compared with countries such as the UK, smoking restrictions in Germany are generally less strict, cigarettes remain relatively inexpensive and tobacco products are prominently displayed in many shops.

Anyone who has wandered into a Berlin Rauchkneipe for the first time or stared at the seemingly endless displays in a local Späti could be forgiven for assuming Germany must have one of Europe’s highest smoking rates.

But daily smoking rates in Germany are almost exactly average for developed countries. According to the OECD, 14.6 percent of Germans smoke daily, compared with an OECD average of 14.8 percent.

That doesn’t mean anyone should conclude that Germany is a tobacco-control success story, of course. Lange and Finger note that smoking rates remain high enough to justify further reductions, particularly among younger women.