Overview
- The WHO says current health taxes are generally too low, poorly designed and rarely adjusted to meet public health goals.
- Average taxes are about 2% of price for sugary drinks, roughly 14% for beer and around 22.5% for spirits, according to the reports.
- Between 2022 and 2024, sugary drinks became more affordable in 62 countries and beer in 56 countries as levies failed to keep pace with inflation and income growth.
- While at least 116 countries tax some sugary drinks and 167 tax alcohol, many high‑sugar products escape taxation and wine remains untaxed in about 25 countries.
- The WHO is pressing countries to redesign and regularly index health taxes, targeting at least a 50% increase by 2035, and highlights Mexico’s 2025 IEPS hike of 87.3% with revenues earmarked for a health fund as a recent example.