Overview
- The bifg report counts about 1,040,000 people treated in practices or hospitals for alcohol dependence or poisoning in 2023, including roughly 720,000 men and 320,000 women.
- People ages 60 to 69 showed the highest treatment rates, with about 40 of 1,000 men and 16 of 1,000 women in that group seeking medical care.
- Regional variation was pronounced: Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern recorded around 23 cases per 1,000 residents versus a national average of 14.8, while Rhineland‑Palatinate was near 12 per 1,000.
- Higher education and income were linked with lower risk, as those with an Abitur and higher earnings were less likely to require treatment for alcohol dependence.
- Barmer called the figures alarming, warned of a substantial dark figure of untreated cases, and urged early identification with referrals to regional addiction counselling, self‑help, and clinical care.