The earliest evidence of people brewing alcohol is residue of a fermented rice and honey beverage dating from between 7000 and 6600 B.C., found in pottery jars discovered in Jiahu, a Neolithic village in northern China’s Yellow River Valley.
Since then, alcohol has played an important part in many cultures and civilizations. It’s been the life of the party and the lubricant for countless debates, battles, and romances as well as the cause of family breakups, fatal accidents, and deadly disease. (In the United States, deaths from alcohol-related cirrhosis have gone up almost every year since 2000.)
The health impact of alcohol abuse is well known. It has been linked to stroke, high blood pressure, liver cirrhosis, and certain cancers, among other ailments. It’s been estimated that alcohol is a contributing factor to around 3 million deaths worldwide per year – or 5% of all fatalities.
That doesn’t stop people from drinking, however. To compile a list of the 40 countries with the highest annual consumption of pure alcohol, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report by the data site Statista, which analyzed data published in May 2022 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Data is for 2019 and for people 15 years and older. Population and gross domestic product per capita data comes from the World Bank and is for 2021.
Click here to see the countries where people drink the most alcohol
On a per capita basis, the overwhelming majority of the biggest consumers of alcohol on our list – including 17 out of the top 20 – are in Europe, with Czechia in the lead, accounting for 14.3 liters (about three and three-quarters gallons) per capita in 2019. (Here are some other surprising things countries are No. 1 at.)
40. Niue
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 9.9 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $5,800 — N/A
> Population: 1,620
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39. United States
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.0 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $70,249 — #10 out of 218 countries
> Population: 331,893,745
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38. Japan
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $39,313 — #34 out of 218 countries
> Population: 125,681,593
37. Denmark
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $68,008 — #13 out of 218 countries
> Population: 5,856,733
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36. Barbados
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.4 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $17,225 — #66 out of 218 countries
> Population: 281,200
35. Australia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.4 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $60,443 — #16 out of 218 countries
> Population: 25,688,079
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34. Russia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.5 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $12,195 — #77 out of 218 countries
> Population: 143,449,286
33. Greece
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.5 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $20,193 — #57 out of 218 countries
> Population: 10,641,221
32. New Zealand
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.7 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $48,781 — #26 out of 218 countries
> Population: 5,122,600
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31. Finland
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.7 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $53,655 — #19 out of 218 countries
> Population: 5,541,017
30. Estonia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.8 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $27,944 — #46 out of 218 countries
> Population: 1,330,932
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29. Cyprus
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.8 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $31,552 — #41 out of 218 countries
> Population: 1,244,188
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28. Belgium
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.8 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $51,247 — #23 out of 218 countries
> Population: 11,592,952
27. Cook Islands
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 10.9 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $13,152 — N/A
> Population: 17,459
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26. Burkina Faso
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.0 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $893 — #186 out of 218 countries
> Population: 22,100,683
25. Belarus
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.0 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $7,302 — #99 out of 218 countries
> Population: 9,340,314
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24. Slovakia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $21,392 — #54 out of 218 countries
> Population: 5,447,247
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23. Hungary
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $18,728 — #60 out of 218 countries
> Population: 9,709,891
22. Switzerland
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.2 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $91,992 — #6 out of 218 countries
> Population: 8,703,405
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21. United Kingdom
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.4 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $46,510 — #27 out of 218 countries
> Population: 67,326,569
20. Poland
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.9 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $18,000 — #62 out of 218 countries
> Population: 37,747,124
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19. Austria
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 11.9 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $53,638 — #20 out of 218 countries
> Population: 8,955,797
18. Tanzania
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.0 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $1,099 — #181 out of 218 countries
> Population: 63,588,334
17. Slovenia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $29,291 — #45 out of 218 countries
> Population: 2,108,079
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16. Portugal
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $24,568 — #50 out of 218 countries
> Population: 10,325,147
15. Lao People’s Democratic Republic
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.1 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $2,536 — #153 out of 218 countries
> Population: 7,425,057
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14. Montenegro
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.2 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $9,466 — #88 out of 218 countries
> Population: 619,211
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13. France
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.2 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $43,659 — #31 out of 218 countries
> Population: 67,749,632
12. Romania
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.3 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $14,858 — #71 out of 218 countries
> Population: 19,119,880
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11. Andorra
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.3 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $42,137 — #32 out of 218 countries
> Population: 79,034
10. Luxembourg
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.4 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $133,590 — #3 out of 218 countries
> Population: 640,064
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9. Uganda
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.5 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $884 — #187 out of 218 countries
> Population: 45,853,778
8. Bulgaria
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.5 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $12,221 — #76 out of 218 countries
> Population: 6,877,743
7. Spain
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.7 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $30,104 — #43 out of 218 countries
> Population: 47,415,750
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6. Ireland
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.7 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $100,172 — #5 out of 218 countries
> Population: 5,033,165
5. Lithuania
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.8 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $23,723 — #52 out of 218 countries
> Population: 2,800,839
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4. Germany
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.8 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $51,204 — #24 out of 218 countries
> Population: 83,196,078
3. Moldova
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 12.9 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $5,231 — #116 out of 218 countries
> Population: 2,615,199
2. Latvia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 13.2 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $21,148 — #55 out of 218 countries
> Population: 1,884,490
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1. Czechia
> Alcohol consumption (2019): 14.3 liters per capita
> GDP per capita: $26,821 — #48 out of 218 countries
> Population: 10,505,772
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