Who Consumes The Most Alcohol
When drinking is examined on a country-by-country basis, several interesting patterns emerge. One set of countries simply drinks more than the others. And then there are the leading beer, wine, and spirits countries.
Most Alcohol
Consider first overall drinking as measured by total alcohol consumed. While neither China nor the US drink much per capita, they are the leading consumers of alcohol because of their size. In contrast, as can be seen in the following table, Russia and South Korea get on the list because they do drink heavily. There is a significant positive correlation between per capita income and alcohol consumption, which makes the heavy drinking in the poorer countries even more impressive.
Total Consumption of Alcohol, by Country
| Per Capita | Total | Drinking | |
| Alcohol | Alcohol | Age | |
| Consumption | Consumption | Population | |
| Country | (Liters) | (Mil. Liters) | (in millions) |
| China | 4.3 | 5,637 | 1,303.7 |
| United States | 8.9 | 2,632 | 295.9 |
| Russian Federation | 16.0 | 2,296 | 143.2 |
| Brazil | 6.6 | 1,232 | 186.8 |
| Japan | 8.7 | 1,105 | 127.8 |
| Germany | 13.3 | 1,096 | 82.5 |
| South Korea | 19.1 | 931 | 48.8 |
| France | 11.2 | 683 | 60.9 |
| United Kingdom | 10.0 | 604 | 60.2 |
| Spain | 11.1 | 481 | 43.4 |
We turn now to the countries that consumed the most alcohol per capita (drinking age population). Of the top twenty countries in this total alcohol category, 12 are in the Eastern European/Russian region. The 10 leading countries are presented in the following table. It is notable that Ireland, a country with a reputation for drinking, consumes only 65% as much alcohol as South Korea.
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
| Beer | Spirits | Wine | Total | |
| 12 oz. | 1.5 oz. | .75 liter | Alcohol | |
| Country | Cans | Shots | Bottles | Liters |
| Top 50 Country Average | 194.5 | 181.6 | 33.7 | 9.9 |
| South Korea | 104.6 | 832.6 | 6.9 | 19.1 |
| Estonia | 273.8 | 502.1 | 17.3 | 16.3 |
| Russian Federation | 229.0 | 549.9 | 12.0 | 16.0 |
| Croatia | 244.3 | 108.5 | 99.3 | 14.7 |
| Czech Republic | 463.7 | 206.5 | 21.7 | 14.2 |
| Germany | 336.0 | 151.2 | 52.2 | 13.3 |
| Lithuania | 236.2 | 352.9 | 17.6 | 12.7 |
| Ireland | 367.5 | 164.7 | 32.8 | 12.5 |
| Slovenia | 273.2 | 84.1 | 68.1 | 12.2 |
| Slovak Republic | 224.3 | 217.5 | 45.0 | 12.0 |
Most Spirits
Consider next spirits (Scotch, Whisky, Vodka, Gin, Rum, etc.). As with the total alcohol category, there is a large representation of heavy drinking from Eastern European countries. Scotch is a popular drink in non-Muslim Asia, and four Asian countries are included in the top twenty list. The ten leading spirits drinking countries are presented in the following table.
Spirits Consumption Per Capita
| Beer | Spirits | Wine | Total | |
| 12 oz. | 1.5 oz. | .75 liter | Alcohol | |
| Country | Cans | Shots | Bottles | Liters |
| Top 50 Country Average | 194.5 | 181.6 | 33.7 | 9.9 |
| South Korea | 104.6 | 832.6 | 6.9 | 19.1 |
| Russian Federation | 229.0 | 549.9 | 12.0 | 16.0 |
| Estonia | 273.8 | 502.1 | 17.3 | 16.3 |
| Lithuania | 236.2 | 352.9 | 17.6 | 12.7 |
| Latvia | 193.2 | 270.6 | 19.0 | 10.4 |
| Haiti | NA | 269.0 | 0.8 | NA |
| Kazakhstan | 76.2 | 264.8 | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| Romania | 187.2 | 264.4 | 39.1 | 11.8 |
| Japan | 139.2 | 258.8 | 12.2 | 8.7 |
| Ukraine | 175.6 | 257.8 | 9.9 | 9.1 |
The consumption of spirits in South Korea is truly remarkable. The data has been cross-checked and does appear to be accurate. They mean that the average South Korean adult has 2.25 shots of Scotch or other spirit daily. Heavy drinking of spirits explains South Korea’s position as the leader as measured by total alcohol consumed.
Most Beer
While beer is a favored drink in a number of the heavy drinking countries, we also see countries such as Germany and Ireland that are known as beer loving countries on this list (see table below). The appearance of Venezuela is notable inasmuch as it is a low alcohol-consuming nation.
Beer Consumption Per Capita
| Beer | Spirits | Wine | Total | |
| 12 oz. | 1.5 oz. | .75 liter | Alcohol | |
| Country | Cans | Shots | Bottles | Liters |
| Top 50 Country Average | 194.5 | 181.6 | 33.7 | 9.9 |
| Czech Republic | 463.7 | 206.5 | 21.7 | 14.2 |
| Ireland | 367.5 | 164.7 | 32.8 | 12.5 |
| Germany | 336.0 | 151.2 | 52.2 | 13.3 |
| Austria | 299.2 | 94.8 | 56.9 | 11.9 |
| Venezuela | 282.0 | 116.2 | 4.3 | 7.7 |
| Belgium-Luxembourg | 281.8 | 96.5 | 47.3 | 10.8 |
| Estonia | 273.8 | 502.1 | 17.3 | 16.3 |
| Slovenia | 273.2 | 84.1 | 68.1 | 12.2 |
| Macedonia | 264.9 | 85.8 | 31.8 | 9.0 |
| Poland | 256.1 | 235.1 | 9.6 | 10.0 |
Most Wine
The top 20 wine consuming nations include six of the largest wine producers: France, Italy, Portugal, Spain Argentina, and Australia. The 10 largest per capita wine-drinking nations are presented in the following table.
Wine Consumption Per Capita
| Beer | Spirits | Wine | Total | |
| 12 oz. | 1.5 oz. | .75 liter | Alcohol | |
| Country | Cans | Shots | Bottles | Liters |
| Top 50 Country Average | 194.5 | 181.6 | 33.7 | 9.9 |
| Croatia | 244.3 | 108.5 | 99.3 | 14.7 |
| France | 90.3 | 154.5 | 79.2 | 11.2 |
| Georgia | NA | 156.4 | 78.4 | 9.6 |
| Italy | 86.9 | NA | 75.7 | NA |
| Slovenia | 273.2 | 84.1 | 68.1 | 12.2 |
| Switzerland | 162.8 | 88.2 | 65.6 | 10.1 |
| Portugal | 161.3 | 80.6 | 62.7 | 9.7 |
| Austria | 299.2 | 94.8 | 56.9 | 11.9 |
| Argentina | 109.3 | NA | 53.5 | NA |
| Germany | 336.0 | 151.2 | 52.2 | 13.3 |
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Sources: World Health Organization, CNBC, Morss Global Finance Report