The alcohol consumption per capita ranking is led by Romania with 16.96 liters, while Georgia is following with 14.52 liters. In contrast, Bangladesh is at the bottom of the ranking with 0.01 liters, showing a difference of 16.95 liters to Romania. Depicted is the estimated alcohol consumption in the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2021, Latvia consumed 12.2 liters of alcohol per capita, which was the highest among European countries. Lithuania had the second-highest alcohol consumption per capita, at 12.1 liters, with Turkey having the lowest at 1.4 liters.

The countries with the highest per capita consumption of alcohol include Czechia, Latvia, and the Republic of Moldova. Laws regarding the production, sale and consumption of alcohol differ by region and country but alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs worldwide. Abuse of alcohol has been linked to a number of short-term and long-term negative health effects.

Alcohol consumption worldwide

In 2021, the world consumed around 280 billion liters of alcoholic beverages. In terms of total consumption of alcoholic beverages in liters, China, the United States, and Brazil lead the pack. Men consume alcohol at higher rates than women in every region of the world.

Alcohol and health

Long-term use and abuse of alcohol has been linked to numerous negative health impacts including stroke, high blood pressure, liver cirrhosis, and certain cancers. Worldwide there are around 38.8 deaths attributed to alcohol per 100,000 population as of 2016, with the highest rates of death attributed to alcohol occurring in Africa and Europe. Alcohol can be attributed to a quarter of all deaths from digestive diseases as well as 18 percent of unintentional injury deaths.

In 2022, among the Nordic countries, Norway had the lowest alcohol consumption of 6.6 liters per capita. That same year, the per capita consumption volume of alcohol amounted to 7.5 liters in Sweden. In Finland, the corresponding volume was even higher. By comparison, Denmark had the highest per capita alcohol consumption of 9.5 liters. In general, all Nordic countries except Denmark have strong restrictions on the sales of alcohol. This applies to all beverages with higher alcohol content; low alcohol drinks are thus available in regular supermarkets and convenience stores.  Norway and Sweden In Norway, beverages with an alcohol content higher than 4.75 percent are only allowed to be sold by Vinmonopolet, the government-owned alcoholic beverage retailer. In Sweden, even beverages with an alcohol content higher than 3.5 percent are only allowed to be sold by Systembolaget, which is the country’s government-owned chain of liquor stores.    Comparison: Denmark  Danish supermarkets, kiosks and other shops are allowed to sell all kinds of alcohol. The average annual sales volume of pure alcohol per person in the country declined overall since 2010 and amounted to 7.5 liters sold in 2023.

Nigerians consumed over 13 liters of alcohol per capita in 2019, making it the leading country in terms of alcohol consumption per capita that year. The Kingdom of Eswatini and South Africa ranked second and third respectively, with just under ten liters per person. Per capita consumption worldwide In 2018, Russia was the leading country and region in terms of alcohol consumption per capita. The average Russian person drank almost twice as many alcoholic servings as the average African person that year. The most sold alcoholic beverages in the Russian Federation in 2018 were beer and malt beverages: over 7 billion liters of these alcoholic drinks were sold to the population. Illicit alcohol market in Africa The production and consumption of unrecorded alcoholic beverages can be dangerous and, in some instances, lethal. However, it is quite common in Sub Saharan Africa and Asia. Producing alcohol at home is a deeply rooted tradition in certain countries and these locally produced beverages tend to be cheaper than the commercial equivalents. Over 60 percent of Uganda’s alcohol market was illicit in 2018, making it the country with the largest illicit alcohol market in Africa.

In 2019, Barbados and Saint Lucia had the highest level of alcohol consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean among its population aged 15 years and older, with around 9.5 liters of pure alcohol per capita consumed yearly. Antigua and Barbuda was the third country with the highest per capita alcohol consumption in the region, with an estimated 8.5 liters of alcohol per person, followed by Grenada and Argentina.

Worldwide deaths related to alcohol use Alcohol use beyond certain limits is commonly associated with chronic conditions such as liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and mental health conditions. As of 2022, the estimated number of deaths due to alcohol use worldwide amounted to three million, representing around five percent of all deaths globally during that year. While Barbados and Saint Lucia led the ranking of alcohol consumption in Latin America in 2019, Czechia and Latvia were the countries that reported the highest consumption per capita of alcohol worldwide that same year, with an average of more than 13 liters per person annually.

Heavy episodic drinking in the region According to a survey carried out in 2022, around 13 percent of respondents from selected nations indicated alcohol abuse was among the biggest health challenges faced by people in their countries. From a regional perspective, it was estimated that around one in every four women and four in every ten men experienced heavy episodic drinking during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in comparison to 2019 figures and impacted by contention measures carried out during the beginning of the outbreak. Nine in ten of the people who did experience heavy episodic drinking did not seek any help.

Czechia led the ranking of countries with the highest alcohol consumption per capita in Europe in 2018. More specifically, an average Czech consumed around 15 liters of pure alcohol in that year. Lithuania ranked second, with more than 13 liters of pure alcohol being consumed in the same year. Luxembourg was placed third.

This statistic compares the per capita consumption of alcohol worldwide in 2013, broken down by country. In that year, the United States ranked fifth with an alcohol consumption of 94.6 liters per person annually.

Comparing the 44 selected regions regarding the combined volume per capita in the alcoholic drinks market, the Czech Republic is leading the ranking (159.77 litres) and is followed by Lithuania with 152.36 litres. At the other end of the spectrum is Indonesia with 1.62 litres, indicating a difference of 158.15 litres to the Czech Republic. Find other insights concerning similar markets and segments, such as a ranking of subsegments in Asia regarding revenue in the Alcoholic Drinks market as a whole and a ranking of subsegments in Vietnam regarding share in the segment Beer . The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In 2018, the alcohol consumption per capita in Laos amounted to approximately 10.2 liters per annum. Comparatively, the alcohol consumption per capita in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Bhutan amounted to less than one liter per annum in each country respectively in 2018.

This statistic displays the leading consumers of alcohol in Europe, by country in 2014. In this year, Estonia was the leading country in terms of alcohol consumption with 12.3 litres of pure alcohol consumed per person per year.

This statistic lists the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with the highest annual per capita consumption of alcohol in 2016. That year, Uruguay had the highest alcohol consumption among its population aged 15 years and older with more than ten liters of pure alcohol consumed per capita yearly.To find out more about the Latin American and Caribbean countries with the lowest per capita consumption of alcohol in 2016, click here. For a more comprehensive list of the alcohol consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016, click here.

In 2020, the alcohol consumption per capita in Laos amounted to 10.82 liters per annum. In the same year, the alcohol consumption per capita in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh amounted to less than one liter per annum.

This statistic lists the countries in Latin America and in the Caribbean with the lowest per capita consumption of alcohol in 2016. That year, Guatemala had the lowest alcohol consumption among its population aged 15 years and older, with 2.4 liters of pure alcohol per capita consumed yearly. To find out more about the Latin American and Caribbean countries with the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in 2016, click here. For a more comprehensive list of the alcohol consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016, click here.

The Nordic countries, except Denmark, have strong restrictions on the sales of alcoholic beverages. In Norway, the government-owned alcohol retailer Vinmonopolet is the only company that can sell beverages containing an alcohol content higher than 4.75 percent. In recent years, the consumption of alcohol in Norway increased, and in 2024, the per capita consumption of alcohol  amounted to a volume of about 83.7 liters.    Per capita consumption of beer Individuals aged 18 years and older are allowed to purchase beer in Norway. Though the consumption of alcohol decreased in the past years, the volume of beer consumed in the country remained stable from 2008 to 2020. By the end of this period, the amount of beer consumed per person was 56 liters. Retail beer (alcohol content of 3.7 to 4.7 percent) was most popular among Norwegians as the consumption volume reached a total of roughly 233 million liters in 2018.      Per capita consumption of spirits In selected years from 1950 to 2018, the average volume of spirits consumed per capita in Norway overall decreased. It was lowest from 2015 to 2018, when the consumption volume was 2.5 liters per person. The legal drinking and purchasing age for beverages with an alcohol content higher than 22 percent is 20 years and older.     

Japan is leading the ranking by combined volume per capita in the 'Spirits' segment of the alcoholic drinks market, recording 24.86 litres. Following closely behind is Estonia with 17.06 litres, while France is trailing the ranking with 4.71 litres, resulting in a difference of 20.15 litres to the ranking leader, Japan. Find other insights concerning similar markets and segments, such as a ranking by country regarding revenue in the cider, perry & rice wine segment of the alcoholic drinks market and a ranking of subsegments in Europe regarding revenue in the Alcoholic Drinks market as a whole. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In 2023, per capita consumption of alcohol in Finland was 7.4 liters per capita, measured in liters of pure alcohol. Compared to 2020, alcohol consumption declined by 0.4 liters per person. Alcohol consumption peaked in 2005 but dropped again below ten liters in 2012 and has steadily decreased since then. In 1970, per capita consumption of alcohol in Finland was measured at 4.8 liters. Changing drinking habits Finnish alcohol consumption reached its record levels by 2005 but has decreased by roughly a fifth since then. While total alcohol consumption has seen a steady declining trend, drinking habits among Finns remain polarized. Compared to other European countries, Finnish people still drink large quantities of alcohol in one go, although binge drinking has somewhat decreased. In general, interest in milder alcoholic beverages is increasing and young people are drinking less than previous generations. While strong alcoholic beverage consumption has decreased over the past decades, wine consumption has increased. Even so, beer is still the most popular alcoholic beverage among Finns. It accounted for nearly half of the total consumption of different alcoholic beverages in 2023. Alko In all the Nordic countries, except for Denmark, sales of alcoholic beverages are strictly controlled by the state retailing monopolies. Alko is the only chain of stores in Finland selling beer containing over 5.5 percent alcohol by volume, wine, and spirits. The company is fully owned by the Finnish government and controlled by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Alko was founded in 1932 and ever since, the company has retained its alcohol sales monopoly based social and health policy objectives. In 2023, Alko generated roughly 1.2 billion euros in revenue. That year, the company operated 370 stores and 118 pick-up points across the country.

This statistic displays the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Benelux) in 2016, by country (in liters). The per capita consumption of alcohol was highest in Belgium in this year. In 2016, on average Belgians drank 13.2 liters of pure alcohol per person. In comparison, in neighboring the Netherlands this was significantly lower, at only 8.7 liters per person.

This statistic depicts annual per capita alcohol consumption worldwide from 2000 to 2016, broken down by world region. In 2016, per capita alcohol consumption in the European Region was about 10 liters of pure alcohol, down from about 11 liters in 2010.

The alcohol consumption per capita in India was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.1 liters (+2.01 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the per capita consumption is estimated to reach 5.05 liters and therefore a new peak in 2029. Depicted is the estimated alcohol consumption in the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the alcohol consumption per capita in countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka.