SOTWStatistics of the World

Alcohol Consumption by Country 2020

Total alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over, in liters of pure alcohol a year: recorded sales plus the World Health Organization’s estimate of unrecorded drinking and tourist consumption.

Romania has the highest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over: 16.8 in 2020. Next are Georgia (14.4), Latvia (12.9), Lithuania (12.1) and Czechia (12). 8 countries share the lowest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over, 0 (Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Kuwait and others). The median across the 187 countries is 4.3, counting each country once, so it is not a world average.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. 187 of 217 countries and territories have a figure. 185 of 187 countries show 2020; the other 2 show their latest available year (2019).

Highest
16.8
Romania, 2020
Lowest
0
8 countries share it, 2020
Median
4.3
Counting each country once, so it is not a world average
Coverage
187 of 217
Countries and territories with a figure; mostly 2020 data
Alcohol Consumption by Country: 2020 Rankings: 187 countries and territories ranked by alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over, with the year of each figure.
#CountryAlcohol, liters per person (15+)YearChange since 2010
1Romania16.82020-0.8
2Georgia14.42020-0.4
3Latvia12.92020+1.9
4Lithuania12.12020-1.9
5Czechia122020-1.3
6Germany11.82020-0.6
7Poland11.72020+0.4
8Belarus11.62020-3.4
8Bulgaria11.62020+1
10Austria11.52020-0.7
11Uganda11.32020-2.7
11Burkina Faso11.32020+3.2
13Moldova11.12020-0.3
14Tanzania10.92020-1
15Laos10.82020+0.4
15Luxembourg10.82020-1.3
15Ireland10.82020-1.4
18United Kingdom10.72020-0.2
18Estonia10.72020-3.5
18Slovakia10.72020+0.1
21Russia10.52020-3.2
22Slovenia10.42020-0.7
23Montenegro10.32019-0.12010 to 2019
23France10.32020-1.9
23Australia10.32020-0.8
26Seychelles10.22020+2.4
27Switzerland10.12020-1.3
28New Zealand102020-0.3
29Hungary9.92020-0.9
29United States9.92020+0.6
29Canada9.92020-0.3
32Andorra9.72020-1.1
33Cameroon9.62020-3
33Sweden9.62020-0.2
35Denmark9.52020-0.9
36Belgium9.42020-1.9
37St. Lucia9.32020-0.3
38Ukraine9.22020-2.4
38Spain9.22020-0.3
40Finland9.12020-1.7
41Portugal8.92020-2.5
42Benin8.82020+2.2
43Netherlands8.72020-1.5
44Barbados8.22020-0.1
45Gabon8.12020-0.8
45Argentina8.12020+0.4
47Vietnam82020+0.7
47Thailand82020+0.4
49Iceland7.92020+0.5
49Serbia7.92019-22010 to 2019
51South Korea7.82020-1.6
52Brazil7.72020-0.9
52Mongolia7.72020-0.1
52Croatia7.72020-1.8
55Chile7.62020-0.2
56Norway7.42020-0.1
57Grenada7.32020-0.2
57Botswana7.32020-0.2
59South Africa7.12020-1.6
59Malta7.12020+0.2
61Italy72020-0.3
62Mauritius6.92020-0.8
63Eswatini6.82020-0.4
64Cambodia6.72020+2
64Antigua and Barbuda6.72020+0.9
66Equatorial Guinea6.62020-2.6
67Dominican Republic6.52020-0.3
67Peru6.52020-1.1
69Japan6.42020-0.4
69Cyprus6.42020-2.8
71Republic of the Congo62020+1.4
71Trinidad and Tobago62020-0.1
71Cabo Verde62020+0.4
74Suriname5.92020+0.2
74Bosnia and Herzegovina5.92020+0.1
76Greece5.82020-2.9
77Philippines5.72020-0.5
78Paraguay5.62020-0.8
78St. Vincent and the Grenadines5.62020-1
78Uruguay5.62020-0.7
81Cuba5.42020-0.1
82Mali5.32020+1.9
83Namibia52020+0.1
83Guyana52020-0.7
83Dominica52020-1.5
86Mexico4.82020-0.4
86Sao Tome and Principe4.82020-1.1
88St. Kitts and Nevis4.72020-1.8
88Panama4.72020-1.9
90China4.62020-1.3
91Kazakhstan4.52020+0.3
91Albania4.52020-1.4
93North Macedonia4.42020+0
94Lesotho4.32020+0.9
94Armenia4.32020-0.8
94Ghana4.32020-1.2
97Colombia4.22020-0.8
97Burundi4.22020-2
99Angola4.12020-4.2
99India4.12020-0.5
101North Korea3.92020-0.6
102Nigeria3.82020-1.3
103Guinea-Bissau3.72020-0.1
103Belize3.72020-2.5
103Nicaragua3.72020-0.1
106Bahamas3.62020-0.7
106Kyrgyzstan3.62020-2.8
106Zambia3.62020+0.3
106Malawi3.62020+0
106Bolivia3.62020-1.1
106Fiji3.62020+0.7
112Costa Rica3.42020-0.6
113El Salvador3.12020+0.4
113Haiti3.12020-0
113Jamaica3.12020+0.1
113Honduras3.12020-0.1
113Ethiopia3.12020+1.4
118Chad2.92020-0.9
118Sri Lanka2.92020+0.3
118Rwanda2.92020+1.6
118Liberia2.92020-1
118Côte d'Ivoire2.92020+0
123Israel2.82020-0.3
123Nauru2.82020-1.4
125Zimbabwe2.72020-0.6
126Turkmenistan2.62020-0
127Ecuador2.52020-1.6
127Azerbaijan2.52020+0.7
127Kenya2.52020-0
130Samoa2.42020-0.2
131Uzbekistan2.12020+0.3
131United Arab Emirates2.12020+0.1
133Vanuatu22020+0.4
133Micronesia22020-0.5
133Venezuela22020-5.8
136Myanmar1.92020+0.8
136DR Congo1.92020-1.1
136Mozambique1.92020+0.7
139Singapore1.82020-0.1
139Central African Republic1.82020-0.7
141Tunisia1.72020+0.1
141Türkiye1.72020-0.4
143Guatemala1.52020-0.5
143Maldives1.52020-0.1
145Solomon Islands1.42020+0.3
145Togo1.42020-0.3
147Lebanon1.32020-0.6
147Tuvalu1.32020-0.3
147Bahrain1.32020-1.1
150Papua New Guinea1.12020-0.3
150Eritrea1.12020-0.4
150Nepal1.12020+0.1
150Qatar1.12020-0.1
154Madagascar12020-0.1
155Malaysia0.72020+0.1
155Tajikistan0.72020+0.1
155Kiribati0.72020+0.1
158The Gambia0.62020-2.6
159Algeria0.52020+0.1
159Guinea0.52020+0.2
159Brunei0.52020+0.2
159Iran0.52020-0.6
159Oman0.52020-0.4
159Morocco0.520200
165Djibouti0.42020-0.3
165Senegal0.42020-0
165Tonga0.42020-0.8
168Sierra Leone0.32020-0
169Iraq0.220200
169Comoros0.22020+0
169Jordan0.22020-0.3
169Bhutan0.22020-0.5
169Timor-Leste0.22020-0.1
174Egypt0.12020-0.1
174Niger0.12020-0
174Bangladesh0.12020+0.1
174Syria0.12020-0.9
174Pakistan0.12020+0
174Indonesia0.12020-0
180Yemen02020-0
180Libya02020+0
180Afghanistan02020-0
180Sudan02020-0
180Kuwait020200
180Mauritania020200
180Saudi Arabia020200
180Somalia020200

Each figure is the latest available for that country, so rows can refer to different years; compare years before comparing values. Values are rounded for display; the CSV download has full precision.

No figure: American Samoa, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Curaçao, Faroe Islands, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guam, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macao, Marshall Islands, Monaco, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, San Marino, Sint Maarten, South Sudan, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Bank and Gaza.

World map of alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over, mostly 2020 data. Source: World Bank World Development Indicators.
Highest: Romania 16.8 (2020), Georgia 14.4 (2020), Latvia 12.9 (2020). Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. 23 ranked countries are too small for the map's outlines and drawn as a dot at the capital. Shapes show location only.
Embed this map
<a href="https://statisticsoftheworld.com/alcohol-consumption-by-country"><img src="https://statisticsoftheworld.com/maps/SH.ALC.PCAP.LI.svg" width="960" height="500" alt="World map of alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over, mostly 2020 data. Source: World Bank World Development Indicators."></a>
<p>Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. Map: <a href="https://statisticsoftheworld.com/alcohol-consumption-by-country">Statistics of the World</a></p>

Then and now

Romania2000: 19.12020: 16.8Georgia2000: 10.62020: 14.4Latvia2000: 8.92020: 12.9Lithuania2000: 11.52020: 12.1Czechia2000: 14.22020: 12Germany2000: 13.82020: 11.8
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. Years 2000 to 2020; each panel has its own scale.
The first 10 in each year, among the countries with a figure that year; the last column is the table above (mostly 2020 data).
#20102020
1Romania (17.6)Romania (16.8)
2Belarus (15)Georgia (14.4)
3Georgia (14.8)Latvia (12.9)
4Estonia (14.2)Lithuania (12.1)
5Lithuania (14.1)Czechia (12)
6Uganda (14)Germany (11.8)
7Russia (13.8)Poland (11.7)
8Czechia (13.3)Belarus (11.6)
9Cameroon (12.6)Bulgaria (11.6)
10Germany (12.4)Austria (11.5)

Burkina Faso rose the most since 2010, +3.2, among the 185 countries with figures for both 2010 and 2020. Venezuela fell the most, -5.8.

Rose the most since 2010

  • Burkina Faso: +3.2
  • Seychelles: +2.4
  • Benin: +2.2
  • Cambodia: +2
  • Mali: +1.9

Fell the most since 2010

  • Venezuela: -5.8
  • Angola: -4.2
  • Estonia: -3.5
  • Belarus: -3.4
  • Russia: -3.2

From the change column: countries whose latest figure is for 2020 and that have a 2010 figure.

By region

alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over by World Bank region: countries with a figure, highest, lowest and median.
RegionCountriesHighestLowestMedian, each country counted once
East Asia & Pacific28Laos (10.8)Indonesia (0.1)2.6
Europe & Central Asia49Romania (16.8)Tajikistan (0.7)9.5
Latin America & Caribbean33St. Lucia (9.3)Guatemala (1.5)5
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan22Malta (7.1)5 countries at 00.4
North America2United States (9.9) and Canada (9.9)United States (9.9) and Canada (9.9)9.9
South Asia6India (4.1)Bangladesh (0.1)1.3
Sub-Saharan Africa47Uganda (11.3) and Burkina Faso (11.3)3 countries at 03.6

Where major economies rank

  • United States: 9.9 in 2020, rank 29 of 187.
  • China: 4.6 in 2020, rank 90 of 187.
  • India: 4.1 in 2020, rank 99 of 187.
  • Japan: 6.4 in 2020, rank 69 of 187.
  • Germany: 11.8 in 2020, rank 6 of 187.
  • United Kingdom: 10.7 in 2020, rank 18 of 187.
  • France: 10.3 in 2020, rank 23 of 187.
  • Brazil: 7.7 in 2020, rank 52 of 187.
  • Canada: 9.9 in 2020, rank 29 of 187.
  • Nigeria: 3.8 in 2020, rank 102 of 187.

Compare these economies side by side

The 10 highest: alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over

  1. Romania: 16.8 (2020)
  2. Georgia: 14.4 (2020)
  3. Latvia: 12.9 (2020)
  4. Lithuania: 12.1 (2020)
  5. Czechia: 12 (2020)
  6. Germany: 11.8 (2020)
  7. Poland: 11.7 (2020)
  8. Belarus: 11.6 (2020)
  9. Bulgaria: 11.6 (2020)
  10. Austria: 11.5 (2020)

The 10 lowest: alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over

  1. Kuwait: 0 (2020)
  2. Mauritania: 0 (2020)
  3. Saudi Arabia: 0 (2020)
  4. Somalia: 0 (2020)
  5. Sudan: 0 (2020)
  6. Afghanistan: 0 (2020)
  7. Libya: 0 (2020)
  8. Yemen: 0 (2020)
  9. Indonesia: 0.1 (2020)
  10. Pakistan: 0.1 (2020)

About alcohol consumption

The figures are the World Health Organization’s estimates, published by the World Bank. Recorded consumption comes from production, trade and sales statistics; unrecorded consumption (home production, smuggling, cross-border shopping) is estimated, and in some countries it is a large share of the total.

Liters of pure alcohol are not liters of drinks: a 330 ml beer at 5% holds about 16.5 ml of pure alcohol. Averages are over everyone aged 15 and over, drinkers and non-drinkers alike, so a country where few people drink but those who do drink heavily can show a moderate average.

The latest year is 2020 for most countries. Pandemic closures of bars and restaurants and limits on travel moved drinking from recorded to unrecorded channels in some countries, so compare those figures with care.

About these figures

Definition. Total alcohol per capita consumption is defined as the total (sum of recorded and unrecorded alcohol) amount of alcohol consumed per person (15 years of age or older) over a calendar year, in litres of pure alcohol, adjusted for tourist consumption. (The publisher's definition of “Total alcohol consumption per capita (liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age)”, copied from the World Bank (World Development Indicators) on 2026-09-07.)

Unit. liters of pure alcohol per person age 15+, per year

Coverage. 187 of 217 countries and territories have a figure. 185 of 187 countries show 2020; the other 2 show their latest available year (2019).

The median and any other summary on this page count each country once, so they are not world averages. Values are rounded for display; the CSV download has full precision.

The publisher revises past years when it updates the series, so a figure here can change after it first appears.

Questions about these figures

Which country has the highest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over?

Romania has the highest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over: 16.8 in 2020. The figures come from the World Bank World Development Indicators.

Which country has the lowest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over?

8 countries share the lowest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over, 0 (Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Kuwait and others). All 8 figures are for 2020.

How many countries are ranked, and for which years?

187 countries and territories have a figure in this ranking. 185 of 187 countries show 2020; the other 2 show their latest available year (2019).

What is the median alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over across countries?

The median is 4.3: half of the 187 countries are above it and half below. The most common year of the figures is 2020. It counts each country once, so it is not a world average.

Which country's alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over changed the most since 2010?

Among the 185 countries with figures for both 2010 and 2020, Venezuela changed the most: -5.8 since 2010, to 2 in 2020.

Where does the United States rank on alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over?

The United States ranks 29 of 187, at 9.9 in 2020.

Which country has the highest alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over in each region?

East Asia & Pacific: Laos (10.8); Europe & Central Asia: Romania (16.8); Latin America & Caribbean: St. Lucia (9.3); Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Malta (7.1); South Asia: India (4.1). Figures are for 2020 unless another year is shown. Regions follow the World Bank's groups.

Use and cite this data

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Statistics of the World. Alcohol Consumption by Country: 2020 Rankings. Data: World Bank World Development Indicators, figures for 2019 to 2020. https://statisticsoftheworld.com/alcohol-consumption-by-country