Poland alcohol abstinence rise

A CBOS poll of 944 adults conducted in April 2026 found that 23 % of Poles now report total abstinence from alcohol, the highest level recorded and a 7‑point increase since 2019. The share of people who drink fell to 73 %. Health concerns and a lack of desire were the main reasons for abstaining; among 18‑24‑year‑olds, 79 % said they did not need alcohol and 97 % believed a party could be held without it. Wine remains the most popular drink, men drink more regularly than women, and experts warned that young people remain vulnerable to alcohol‑related marketing.

Building on the survey findings, the government and Catholic leaders announced an August Abstinence Month for 2026, timed with the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Jasna Góra “Oath of the Nation”. On 31 July 2026 the Polish Catholic Church formally designated August as a “Month of Abstinence”, with Bishop Tadeusz Bronakowski urging the faithful to voluntarily forgo alcohol for the full month. The appeal linked the campaign to the historic vows, framed sobriety as a moral and social good, and highlighted Poland’s per‑capita consumption of about 11.7 L of pure alcohol, above the EU average.

Diocesan events—including pilgrimages to Jasna Góra, workshops, sobriety booklets, special masses and, on 2 August, a Diocesan March of Sobriety from Tarnów to Skrzyszów—were organised nationwide. Participants, many former addicts or relatives of alcoholics, prayed, shared testimonies and were urged by Bishop Bronakowski and Father Zbigniew Guzy to practice voluntary abstinence, stressing that the effort also addresses under‑age drinking, nicotine, drug use and digital addictions.

The Church continues to call for a united effort to foster a sober, faithful nation.