Antibiotic consumption in Europe, 2019–2024: being AWaRe is not about using less

Antimicrobial consumption surveillance is central to strategies addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), yet indicators for benchmarking national performance remain debated. Defined daily doses (DDDs), while useful for trend monitoring, inadequately reflect prescribing quality when used as comparative metrics. Using European surveillance data (2019–2024), we show that applying the WHO AWaRe classification substantially reshapes country rankings, aligning more closely with resistance epidemiology and AMR-attributable mortality. Countries with high Access-group proportions, rather than low total volumes, achieve superior stewardship outcomes. Volume-based DDD metrics may paradoxically penalise appropriate high-dose short-course or early-switch strategies, as exemplified in the UK and Japan. AWaRe should therefore be interpreted as a governance tool, not a punitive performance score, and applied alongside resistance, case mix, and outcomes data. Integrating risk-stratified, outcome-informed indicators can guide health policy, support harmonised stewardship across the EU, and better translate surveillance into actionable strategies for reducing antimicrobial resistance.