There isn't one single "drunkest" country, as it depends on the metric: Romania often leads in total alcohol consumed per person annually, while Australia was identified by a major survey for getting drunk most frequently (times per year). Other high-consumption countries include Georgia, Czechia, Latvia, and Germany, with some reports highlighting high rates of alcohol dependency in Hungary.
Top 15 Countries With The Highest Alcohol Consumption
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).
Northern Territory residents are the biggest alcohol , nicotine users | NT News.
Weekly alcohol use – aged 14 years and older
Just over one-third (35.9%) of Australians in 2022-23 reporting drinking weekly (excluding daily drinkers), which remained stable from 2019 (34.9%). In 2022-23, 36.7% of South Australians reported drinking weekly (excluding daily drinkers), also stable from 2019 (36.8%).
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.
Alcohol laws help to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol on individuals, families and communities. Some laws, such as the legal drinking age, are the same across Australia. Other laws, such as where you can drink, are different in each state and territory.
Alcohol is served in many social and recreational situations, and its use is often encouraged. While drinking alcohol is often seen as intrinsic to Australian culture, the effects associated with over-consumption do not just affect the individual, but also the wider national community.
Alcohol consumption is heaviest in the northern states, with New Hampshire, North Dakota and Montana all among the top five. Ranking alcohol consumption by state, the states with the highest annual levels of drinking are: New Hampshire: 4.67 gallons per person. Delaware: 3.52 gallons per person.
The Sunshine Coast is becoming synonymous with craft beer, so much so it's now known as the Craft Beer Capital of Australia! In Pursuit of Hoppiness podcast is all about those breweries and the characters behind the beer, who they are, how they got started and why they chose the Sunshine Coast.
Binge drinking is when you drink a lot of alcohol in one session to get drunk. The Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol recommend that to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol, healthy adults should drink: no more than 4 standard drinks in one day. no more than 10 standard drinks per week.
Recent Australian research examining the heaviest drinking population group and their sociodemographic characteristics found that the heaviest drinking 10% of the population drank 54.4% of all alcohol consumed and that these drinkers were more likely to be men, more likely to drink cask wine and full-strength beer, ...
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).
There isn't one single country with the absolute lowest age, as some have no minimum age (like Angola, Mali, Guinea-Bissau), while others have very low ages, with Burkina Faso often cited at 13, and countries like Germany, Austria, and Denmark allowing beer/wine at 16 (sometimes with parental supervision). The Central African Republic and Mali are sometimes listed at 15, and many African nations have no national laws.
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.
Romania tops the list of countries with the highest alcohol consumption per person, with Georgia, Czechia, Latvia, and Germany rounding out the top five.
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.
Vermont reports an exceptionally low average of just 0.13 solitary drinking occasions per month, making it the state with the fewest instances of people drinking alone.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin drinks more alcohol than any other city in the United States, and it's earned this title year after year for the last couple of decades.
The "1-2-3 method" for alcohol is a moderation guideline: 1 drink per hour, no more than 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days a week, or limiting to 1 drink/day (women) or 2 drinks/day (men) with no more than 3 drinks on any one day, helping to pace consumption and align with health recommendations for reducing risk, though the U.S. Surgeon General notes no amount of alcohol is entirely safe.
“The drink known as way-a-linah was made by the Tasmanian Palawa people in a traditional practice where the sap was given time to spontaneously ferment. “To the best of our knowledge, the microorganisms responsible for this traditional Australian fermentation have never been investigated or identified.”
Gen-Z's approach to imbibing is dramatically different from that of older generations. A 2025 Gallup study indicates significant declines in drinking among young adults, ages 18-34, with only 50% reporting they drink, down from 72% two decades prior.
The "20-minute rule for alcohol" is a simple strategy to moderate drinking: wait 20 minutes after finishing one alcoholic drink before starting the next, giving you time to rehydrate with water and reassess if you truly want another, often reducing cravings and overall intake. It helps slow consumption, break the chain of continuous drinking, and allows the body a natural break, making it easier to decide if you've had enough or switch to a non-alcoholic option.
After marijuana, Australia's most abused drugs are ecstasy, hallucinogens, and amphetamines. The most popular, ecstasy, has been used by 11.2% of Australians over the age of 14. That is close to 3,000,000 people and doesn't include the use of hallucinogens, 9.4%, or amphetamines, 6.3%.
Practices or promotions that involve the serving of alcohol in ways that encourage skolling, repeated quick consumption of alcoholic drinks or free pouring of alcohol are not acceptable.