Eastern and Central European cultures, particularly in countries like Romania, Czechia, Latvia, and Georgia, drink the most alcohol per capita, leading global rankings for pure alcohol consumption, with beer being extremely popular in Czechia and spirits prominent in the "vodka belt" nations like Belarus and Lithuania, though the overall highest drinkers are in Europe, contrasting sharply with regions like the Middle East and North Africa where consumption is very low.
Romania tops the list of countries with the highest alcohol consumption per person, with Georgia, Czechia, Latvia, and Germany rounding out the top five.
Rates of daily heavy drinking were higher among Hispanics (33.9 percent), Native Americans (28.4 percent), and Whites (27.3 percent) compared with Blacks (22.5 percent) and Asians (19.2 percent).
Russia and Australia have the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence overall, with 2.61 per cent and 2.58 per cent, respectively. According to the WHO, US has the lowest rate of alcohol dependence with only 1.92 per cent.
In 2019, the top 10 European countries with the highest alcohol consumption per capita were Czechia (14.3 litres), Latvia (13.2), Moldova (12.9), Germany (12.8), Lithuania (12.8), Ireland (12.7), Spain (12.7), Bulgaria (12.5), Luxembourg (12.4), and Romania (12.3).
Do Australians, on average, drink more than the Irish? Do Australians, on average, drink more than the Irish? No. Average annual alcohol consumption in Ireland (around 11 litres) is higher than Australia (around 9.4 litres).
However, with its bustling population of 19.12 million, Romania has also more recently become known as the “Drunkest Country on Earth.” Men in Romania are, by and large, the heaviest drinkers on the planet. The average Romanian male drinks 27.3 liters, roughly seven and a half gallons, per year.
The regions with the highest consumption are the WHO European Region (9.2 litres) and the Region of the Americas (7.5 litres).
Beer. Beer is the most consumed alcohol in the world. In fact, after water and tea, beer is actually the most popular drink in the world. According to reports, in the 2022 brewing year, global beer production ended up increasing slightly year-on-year by 1.3% to 1.89 billion hectolitres.
World's 10 best drinking nations
While this cannot be said to have a direct causal relationship, Asians possess a certain type of DNA strain which increases the percentage chance for genetic alcohol insensitivity. This DNA sequence, or at least in relation to alcohol use, can mean that Asians generally avoid alcohol consumption more than other races.
The "3-2-1" (or often "1-2-3") drinking rule is a guideline for moderate alcohol consumption: 1 drink per hour, no more than 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days per week, helping to pace intake and reduce risks. It aligns with official health advice, emphasizing that the body processes only about one standard drink (e.g., 12oz beer, 5oz wine) per hour, and provides a framework for mindful drinking to avoid binge patterns and health issues, though it's a simplification of broader guidelines.
In 2021, American Indian or Alaska Native (36.1%) or Multiracial people (34.6%) were more likely to have used illicit drugs in the past year compared with Black or African American (24.3%), White (22.5%), Hispanic or Latino (19.4%), or Asian people (11.1%).
Of the non-European countries, Australia consumed the largest amount of pure alcohol from wine (3.7 litres per capita) followed by New Zealand (3.0 litres), Canada (2.0 litres) and USA (1.7 litres).
For reference, a standard drink is measured at 14 grams of pure ethanol alcohol in the United States. The data showed a four-way tie between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Somalia as the countries that consumed the least amount of alcohol per capita.
Findings. Black men were found to have the largest overall mean drink alcohol content at 0.79oz (23ml) of alcohol. This was significantly larger than the mean for white men or for black women and added 30% to black men's monthly alcohol intake when applied to their reported number of drinks.
Among the most common types of alcohol abused include:
1️⃣ Something hydrating 💧 2️⃣ Something energizing ⚡ 3️⃣ Something just for fun 🍹
The three nations with the highest rates of alcohol use disorders, Hungary, Russia, and Belarus, were all among the 10 heaviest drinking nations. Of the 3.3 million alcohol related deaths worldwide, a third were caused by cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
British people get drunk more often than anyone else, survey finds | CNN. UK respondents said they got drunk 51 times in the past year, compared with 50 times for people in the United States, 48 in Canada and 47 in Australia.
Alcohol tolerance in different ethnic groups
The tolerance to alcohol is not equally distributed throughout the world's population. Genetics of alcohol dehydrogenase indicate resistance has arisen independently in different cultures.
The 1-2-3 drinking rule is a guideline for moderation: 1 drink per hour, no more than 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days each week, helping to pace consumption and stay within safer limits. It emphasizes pacing alcohol intake with water and food, knowing standard drink sizes (12oz beer, 5oz wine, 1.5oz spirits), and avoiding daily drinking to reduce health risks, though some health guidance suggests even lower limits.
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil Extraction – 17.5%
Workers in mining and oil extraction face grueling physical conditions, long shifts, and isolated environments. These factors contribute to the highest reported heavy alcohol use of any profession.
Germany topped the list for alcohol consumption, with the country's drinkers averaging 12.79 litres per person a year. Ireland followed with 12.75 litres, with Spain close behind at 12.67 litres.