British drinkers consume less during the week than their European counterparts, according to a new report by brewer SABMiller.
The survey of drinking habits in 15 countries found that only 28% of Britons had a midweek drink, compared with 47% of people in Spain.
Drinking times also varied from country to country, with 6.14pm being the average time in the UK to go for the first beer, which was later than in most of Europe, with Danes starting at 4.41pm.
The poll of 7,500 people revealed that only one in 10 Britons drunk at lunchtime and that during the week 68% of respondents had their last drink before 11pm.
Saturday was shown to be the favourite day of the week to go for a pint, with 58% of those questioned drinking in a pub, restaurant or at home.
Dr Paul Jennings, lecturer at the University of Bradford, said; “According to a number of studies in recent years, the British work some of the longest hours in Europe, and white collar workers have seen the biggest increase in their working hours due to changes in Great Britain’s economic make up.
“As we have moved from a manufacturing base to a service-led, internationally focused economy, we are now tied to our desks for longer. This doesn’t just apply to working later – the whole cultural shift away from stopping for lunch is further evidenced by the decrease in lunchtime drinking shown in this report.”
