Raising the drinking age cuts teen drinking and boosts test scores

By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.Reviewed by Lauren HardakerDec 19 2025

Evidence from Spain’s regional reforms suggests that delaying legal access to alcohol can support adolescent well-being.

Study: Minimum legal drinking age and educational outcomes. Image credit: Daisy Daisy.Shutterstock.com

A recent study in the Journal of Health Economics explores the impact of minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) changes on educational outcomes for teenagers, using different implementation timelines across Spain's regions.

Strategies to reduce teenage alcohol consumption

Alcohol use among European teenagers is notably higher than in other parts of the world. Nearly half of European adolescents aged 15 to 16 reported drinking alcohol in the past month, and 30 % engaged in at least one binge drinking episode during that time. In comparison, just 12 % of U.S. teens aged 14 to 17 drank alcohol, and only 6 % reported binge drinking over the same period.

To curb alcohol use among adolescents, many European governments have introduced measures such as higher alcohol taxes, stricter licensing regulations, and tighter advertising restrictions.

One of the most significant changes has been the widespread increase in the MLDA. Around the year 2000, most European countries set the MLDA at 16, which is much lower than the U.S. limit of 21. Over the past two decades, however, many European nations have raised the MLDA to 18, enacting broad reforms that limit minors’ access to alcohol, restrict sales, and further regulate alcohol promotion.

Relationship between teenage alcohol consumption and education

Research shows adolescent alcohol use negatively impacts brain development, academic performance, and long-term outcomes. Young drinkers have reduced grey and white matter and are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that hinder learning and mental health.

Despite its importance, little empirical research has examined how MLDA laws affect educational outcomes, especially in Europe, where youth may be more vulnerable to alcohol’s effects. Most studies focus on the US and show mixed results, suggesting European outcomes may differ due to cultural and legal differences and higher youth drinking rates.

Raising the MLDA and its effect on educational performance in Spain

This paper examines the impact of raising the MLDA from 16 to 18 on educational outcomes, using the staggered introduction of the law across Spanish regions. Before 1991, the MLDA nationwide was 16.

From 1991 to 2019, regions gradually raised the MLDA to 18, usually alongside restrictions on minors’ access to alcohol venues and advertising, referred to as ‘MLDA changes’. The current study focuses on reforms from 2003 to 2019, when four regions (Castile and Leon, Galicia, Asturias, and the Balearic Islands) implemented MLDA increases.

This study used a difference-in-differences approach, which revealed medium-term educational effects and peer spillovers not captured by earlier US studies using regression discontinuity designs (RDD). Teenage alcohol and substance use were measured using Spain’s High School Survey on Drug Use, a biennial, anonymous in-class survey of approximately 250,000 students from 2004 to 2021.

During this period, alcohol use was widespread among Spanish teenagers, with 60% of those aged 14 to 17 having consumed alcohol in the previous month, 34 % engaging in binge drinking, and 24 % experiencing intoxication. Additionally, 19 % reported memory loss after drinking, 15 % struggled to focus at school, and 33% had hangovers.

Information on educational outcomes was obtained from two sources. Academic performance was assessed using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial OECD survey that used standardized tests and measured educational inputs, covering about 180,000 students from 2003 to 2022. Educational attainment was measured using the 2021 census, focusing on individuals born between 1987 and 2002 (approximately 600,000 people); 78 % completed secondary education, and 42 % attended or completed college.

The effect of MLDA changes was estimated using a difference-in-differences approach with wild bootstrap standard errors. After the MLDA rose to 18, it became modestly harder for underage youth to get alcohol. Fewer teenagers bought alcohol in bars, but the majority obtained it through adults. Parents' attitudes remained the same, but more young people saw heavy drinking as a problem.

The MLDA changes improved educational outcomes, raising average PISA scores by about 4 % of a standard deviation. The effect was stronger for children of highly educated parents, reflecting their greater reduction in alcohol use, although this was not statistically significant. However, these results were not explained by changes in school resources, class size, instructional hours, or student effort.

Long-term, the MLDA changes did not affect secondary school completion, but there was suggestive evidence of a small increase in college attendance. Raising the MLDA was also associated with modest improvements in mental-health–related outcomes, as less access to alcohol was associated with lower use of anxiety or sleep medications.

It must be noted that the MLDA increase did not significantly affect the use of other illegal substances, smoking, or cannabis. It also had no clear impact on teens’ social lives or leisure activities such as going out, internet use, gaming, or sports.

Increasing MLDA dropped teenage drinking and improved academic outcomes

Raising the MLDA from 16 to 18 in Spain led to a decrease in underage drinking, which was consistent across age, gender, and region.

Reductions in alcohol consumption were accompanied by improvements in academic performance and a decrease in the use of anxiety and sleep medications among teens. The findings suggest that, across Europe, stricter MLDA laws could effectively improve student outcomes at a relatively low cost.

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