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.
Danes and Finns spent the most time drinking to excess after Australians, tied at 23.8 times a year. Americans came in third place, becoming intoxicated an average of 23 times in 2020, followed by the British (22.5 times).
The 12-month prevalence of alcohol use was lower in the USA (56.5%) than in Australia (77.2%), although the rates of alcohol dependence were similar in both countries.
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.
Australia has a relatively high apparent annual alcohol consumption rate per capita compared with other developed countries. In the most recent year for which data are available, the range of apparent annual consumption rates among selected developed countries was 6.0–11.7 litres per capita.
Frequency of Australians' alcohol consumption
5% of Australians drink alcohol every day; 7% drink 5-6 days per week; 11% drink 3-4 days per week; 17% drink 1-2 days per week; 13% drink 2-3 days per month; 23% drink 1 day per month or less; and 23% of Australians abstain from alcohol.
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.
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.
Luxembourg, where residents pound down 15.5 liters of alcohol in a year, on average, ranks first. Close behind are France (14.2 liters), Ireland (also 14.2 liters, a lot more of it from beer), Hungary (12 liters) and the Czech Republic (11.8 liters).
Heavy binge drinking is well established in Britain and the country consistently ranks highest for binge drinking culture in health reports. The percentage of people binge drinking varies slightly from constituent country to country, In England in 2019 this was 15%, Wales; 14% and Scotland 18%.
Local government areas in Western Australia's (WA) beachside are consuming the most alcohol, with rates almost double the national average. Byron Shire Council in New South Wales (NSW) had the nation's highest rate of risky drinking, but some areas of NSW also had some of the lowest rates in the country.
Drinking alcohol is mainly about being sociable. Us Brits love to get together in bars, clubs, restaurants and pubs to catch up on gossip, talk politics, watch sport and celebrate friends and families' successes and anniversaries, like growing another year older.
But 72% of the non-Indigenous population actually drank alcohol, while only 62% of the Indigenous population did. One common stereotype of Indigenous Australians is that they all drink alcohol to excess. But the reality is that a smaller percentage of Aborigines drink alcohol than do other Australians.
Who drinks alcohol in Australia? Around 77% of adults drink alcohol. 23% do not drink alcohol.
Caucasians have a higher rate of current alcohol use (at the time of the 2013 NSDUH) than any other race demographic, with 57.7% of individuals aged 12 and older reporting past-month alcohol consumption.
Which country drinks the most in Europe? 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).
The report ranks consumption volume by country and region. China tops the list, reporting over 38 million kiloliters (some 10 billion gallons) drank in 2021. That's a little over 20 percent of the global market share and more than a 5 percent increase year-over-year.
According to Euromonitor Japanese adults on average drink 4.4 shots of hard liquor per week, the fifth highest in the world behind top two South Korea and Russia. This is mostly shochu followed by whisky.
Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
Australians boast about their selection and variety of alcohol. The most famous drink in Australia is vino. The most consumed drink in this country is red wine.
The use of alcohol and other drugs is not a traditional part of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander culture. Although people did consume weak alcohol made from various plants, traditional rules controlled how and when it was used.