World Food Day: A look at Portuguese eating habits

Data from the National Health Survey (INS) conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in the fourth quarter of 2025 show that last year, 18.7% and 14.4% of people said they never consumed processed fish or seafood and processed meat, respectively. However, almost a third reported eating these foods between one and three times a week (32.1% in both cases).

According to the survey, more than half of the population aged 15 or older consumed fruit (68.3%) and milk and dairy products (57.5%) daily, CNN Portugal reports.

Vegetables and salads were consumed daily by 41.2% of the population, while 30% reported eating vegetable soup every day.

“Only 4.4% of people consumed dried, fresh or frozen fish or seafood daily. For fresh or frozen poultry and for fresh or frozen red meat, the proportions were 9.4% and 11.2%, respectively,” according to the INE (National Institute of Statistics).

Sugary soft drinks were consumed daily by 8% of the population, between four and six times a week by 6%, and between one and three times a week by 18.2%. Overall, 32.2% of the population consumed these drinks at least once a week.

The survey also found that more than half of the population aged 18 or older (57.1%) were overweight or obese, with a body mass index of 25 kg/m² or higher.

Alcohol consumption

Regarding alcohol consumption, 20.7% of people aged 15 or older said they had never consumed alcoholic beverages, while 8.6% reported having consumed none during the 12 months before the interview.

Daily alcohol consumption was reported by 15.3% of respondents, with the highest proportions recorded among those aged 65 to 84: 33.3% of those aged 65-74 and 32.0% of those aged 75-84.

“Daily consumption was clearly more frequent among men (23.2% compared to 7.9% among women), those with less education (24.9% and 23.5% among people with no schooling and those with basic education, respectively), and the retired population (32.5%),” the INE said.

According to the survey, risky alcohol consumption was more prevalent among men (51.2%, with 19.5% reporting a monthly frequency), young people (with rates exceeding 50% among those aged 15 to 34 overall and 23% for occasional consumption), and economically inactive people, including students (53.9% overall and 21% for monthly episodes).

Tobacco use in Portugal

Turning to tobacco use, data for 2025 show that 14.6% of the population aged 15 or older were smokers, while 12.7% smoked daily.

Tobacco consumption was higher among men (19.6%, approximately twice the rate recorded among women). The highest proportions of smokers and regular smokers were found among those aged 25 to 64, particularly people aged 45 to 54 (20.5% smokers and 18.7% daily smokers).

In 2025, 3.4% of residents aged 15 or older reported using heated tobacco products daily, while 1.3% reported using e-cigarettes. In both cases, usage was more common among men.

Physical activity

The survey also found that 28.5% of the population aged 15 or older did not walk at all during a typical week, while more than half (53.4%) did not participate in any physical exercise.