numbers
There are an estimated six million adult people living in Germany who grew up as children in addicted families. Approximately 2.65 million children under the age of 18 currently live with alcoholic parents. In addition, there are approximately 40,000 to 60,000 children of drug-dependent parents. Approximately Every 6th child is affected by material addiction in the family. [1] The number of children suffering from non-material addictions at home (media and online addiction, job addiction, relationship addiction, sex addiction.) Cannot be recorded statistically. The Federal Drugs Report 2017 only gives an estimate of the children of gambling-addicted parents, the number of which is estimated between 37,500 and 150,000. Overall, the federal drug commissioner estimates the number of children affected by addiction in the parental home to three million, but assumes a high number of unreported cases. [2] It must therefore be assumed that at least 10 percent of Germany’s population was or was acutely burdened by a family addiction problem in childhood.
Risk group for addiction and mental illness
Children from families with addiction problems (Children Of Alcoholics /Addicts = COAs) are the largest known risk group for a later own addiction and carry a number of other health risks. According to the DAK Children’s and Youth Report 2018, they have 32 percent higher health costs than children from non-addicted families. [3]
An assessment of health costs for COAs carried out at the University of Hamburg has shown the following results:
- The group of children of drug-dependent parents up to the age of 18 has an annual increase in medical costs of 11.5 million euros.
- The group of children of alcohol-dependent parents aged up to 18 years has an increase in medical costs of 210 million euros per year.
- In the long-term perspective, significantly higher health costs result from mental illnesses in children of addicted parents in adulthood: their risk of developing schizophrenia is 116% higher (alcoholic home). In the case of affect disorders, the risk is increased by 25% (alcoholic) or 80% (drug-laden home). In the case of neuroses, the risk is increased by 25% (alcoholic) or 62% (drug-laden home). In the case of personality disorders, the risk is increased by 61% (alcoholic) or 80% (drug-laden home).
- The chances of children from alcoholic families completing their Abitur are 15% lower (boys) and 12.7% lower (girls).
- Children from alcoholic families are more likely to be unemployed at the beginning of their working lives, 24% (boys) and 23% (girls). [4]
A study by the Munich Institute for Therapy Research based on international overview studies puts the number of children who were born in Germany in 2014 with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) at 12,650. These included almost 3,000 babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the full form of the disorder. [5]
American studies show that alcohol-related illness among parents is one of the most damaging factors when it comes to growing up children healthy. [6] However, too much alcohol is also drunk in German families below the threshold for addiction requiring treatment. Up to 6.6 million children live with a parent with risky alcohol consumption, of which 4.2 million with a parent with regular intoxication. With a total of 13 million children under the age of 18 in Germany, this means that every second child grows up in an environment in which too much alcohol is consumed. [7]
Alcohol consumption is high in Germany
The German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS) gives the number of alcoholics in Germany at 1.77 million. There are between 1.5 and 1.9 million drug addicts in Germany. Approximately 319,000 people are addicted to so-called illegal drugs. The number of drug-related deaths in 2018 was 1267. In contrast, over 74,000 people die each year from the consequences of alcohol. With 314,211 treatment cases, the diagnosis "Mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol (F 10)" was made in 2017 as the second most common main diagnosis in hospitals. [8]
Average alcohol consumption worldwide is 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per capita annually. In Germany, 10.6 liters of pure alcohol per capita are currently consumed annually. Converted into beer, wine, sparkling wine and schnapps, this results in 131 liters of finished goods per capita. This corresponds to the capacity of a bathtub. In an international comparison, Germany ranks 23rd in alcohol consumption. The German alcohol industry spends around 619 million euros on advertising every year. The economic damage caused by alcohol every year in Germany is estimated at just under 40 billion euros. In contrast, the German Treasury receives 3.1 billion euros in alcohol tax annually. How many families are destroyed by alcohol or other addictive substances is not recorded in any statistics.
We have more facts and figures ready for you to download here:
Important facts about children from addiction familiesNational Association for Children of Alcoholics, USA
The current addiction statistics of the German center for addiction questions receive here.
How Germany looks in international comparison shows interactive world map of alcohol consumption.
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