Algarve tops Portugal for smoking, ranks high for alcohol

The Algarve has the highest proportion of smokers in mainland Portugal and records the country’s third-highest rate of alcohol consumption, according to the 2025 National Health Survey released this week by Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE).

The survey found that 20.6% of Algarve residents aged 15 and over smoke, placing the region ahead of the Azores (19.5%) and Alentejo (17.8%). It also recorded the highest percentage of daily smokers nationwide, with 18.2% of the population smoking every day, narrowly ahead of the Azores (18.1%) and Alentejo (16.4%).

Alcohol consumption is also among the highest in the country. Around 70.2% of Algarve residents said they had consumed alcoholic drinks during the 12 months before being surveyed, behind only Greater Lisbon (72.2%) and the North (70.3%). The North recorded the highest proportion of daily drinkers at 19.8%.

Nationally, around 6.9 million people aged 15 and over — equivalent to 68.9% of the population — said they had consumed alcohol during the previous year. Of these, 1.5 million drank daily, while four million described themselves as regular drinkers and 1.3 million as occasional consumers.

By contrast, around 852,000 people reported not drinking alcohol at all during the previous 12 months, while 2.1 million said they had never consumed alcoholic beverages.

The survey also found that 1.4 million people in Portugal were smokers, representing 14.6% of residents aged 15 and over. Around 1.3 million smoked every day, while 8.4 million people were non-smokers, including 6.2 million who had never smoked and 2.3 million former smokers.

The survey also examined the use of newer tobacco products, finding that 337,000 residents (3.4%) used heated tobacco products daily, while 127,000 (1.3%) were daily users of electronic cigarettes. Use of both products was slightly higher among men.

In both categories – drinking and smoking -, consumption was significantly higher among men. Nearly four in five men (79%) reported drinking alcohol, compared with 59.3% of women, while the proportion of male smokers (19.6%) was double that of women (9.8%).

People aged between 45 and 54 recorded the highest levels of both smoking and alcohol consumption. Younger people aged 15 to 24 and those aged 85 and over reported the lowest alcohol consumption.

The survey also highlighted lifestyle habits beyond tobacco and alcohol.

In terms of diet, around four million people (40.6%) ate vegetables and salads every day. Daily consumption increased with age, peaking at around 45% among those aged between 55 and 74. Women were more likely than men to eat vegetables daily, with rates of 46.1% and 34.8% respectively. The Centre region recorded the highest proportion of daily vegetable consumers, while the Azores had the lowest.

When it came to physical activity, the majority of people aged 15 and over (5.3 million) did not exercise regularly. However, 5.4% said they exercised every day, while 7.9% did so on five to six days a week. Among those who exercised, men tended to be physically active more frequently each week than women.

The National Health Survey 2025 was carried out during the final quarter of last year and covered residents aged 15 and over throughout Portugal.

Source: INE/Lusa