Adult Men Drink More than Women Almost 58% of adult men report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days compared with 49% of adult women. Men are more likely to binge drink than women. Approximately 21% of men report binge drinking, compared with 13% of women.
Only one per cent of women in India drink alcohol compared with 22 per cent of men, while 39 per cent of men and 4 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 years use some form of tobacco, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report.
Looking at the amount of alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older, the Seychelles is in first place with around 20.5 litres of alcohol drunk per person per year, according to Our World in Data; studies show that young male peer groups primarily drink high amounts of alcohol in the Seychelles.
Ukrainian women top the list at 42g of alcohol a day, while Sweden, Denmark and Ireland are ahead of Britain.
NEW DELHI: The total number of alcohol consumers in India is estimated at around 160 million, of which 7.5 per cent are women. However, the uptake by women has increased during the pandemic, according to a new report by UBS.
Statewise Alcohol Consumption in India
As per NFHS-5, On average, only 1.3% of women in India consume alcohol, whereas the national average for men is 18.8%. Alcohol consumption by both men and women is high in North East and Eastern states of India.
The Global Drug Survey has crowned Australians as the heaviest drinkers in the world in 2020.
Russia and Australia have the highest prevalence of alcoholism dependence overall, with 2.61 per cent and 2.58 per cent, respectively. According to the World Health Organization, US has the lowest rate of alcohol dependence with only 1.93 per cent.
Alcohol consumption among Indians 2021, by select city
As per the results of a large scale survey conducted across India in 2021, majority of people from Kolkata consumed the most alcohol.
While it is known that alcohol consumption has always been high among men, the recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-2021 has found that only 1% of women, aged 15-49, drink alcohol in the country, compared to 22% of men.
Binge drinking is most common among younger adults aged 18–34. Binge drinking is more common among men than among women.
Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Mauritania, Libya, the Maldives, Iran, Kuwait, Brunei, and Bangladesh also have alcohol bans, as do some states in India (India is a Hindu-majority country but has a sizeable Muslim population).
The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.
Also known as 'little winebibber,' Cheng Cheng first tasted wine when he was only 10-months-old. To stop him from crying, his father used to put wine-dipped chopsticks into his mouth. His fancy toward alcohol drinking increased as he grew older.
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).
Water. Water is the most popular beverage on the planet. This is such a simple drink, but no one can live without it.
Approximately 84 per cent of Australians drink alcohol at least once in a 12-month period, compared to 83.9 per cent in the UK and 68.9 per cent in the US. However, the UK leads the way with alcohol abuse problems.
Mahua is a traditional Indian drink that is often dubbed as country liquor. It is produced from the flowers of Madhuca longifolia, which is better known as mahua. The drink originated among the Adivasi—different ethnic groups who are considered native to the Indian subcontinent.
“Alcohol use among men is highest in Goa (59%), Arunachal Pradesh (57%), and Telangana (50%), and is the lowest in Lakshadweep (1%),” states the NFHS report for 2019-21.
Masala Chai: Tea is the most famous and favorite beverage in all parts of India.
Consumption of alcohol is illegal for Muslims. Public consumption and drunkenness are illegal and can lead to detention.