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Mapped: Alcohol Consumption by Region
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Over 2 billion people are current drinkers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
This map shows the percentage of the population over 15 years old that consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months by region. The data is from 2019 and was published in the 2024 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders.
According to the World Health Organization’s definitions, the map is divided into six regions.
European Countries Have the Highest Percentage of Drinkers
The level of drinking is highest in European countries. Seven of the 10 countries with the highest alcohol consumption in 2019 were members of the European Union.
| Region | Drinkers (%) | Alcohol per capita (in liters/year) |
|---|---|---|
| European Region | 62.4 | 14.7 |
| Western Pacific Region | 60.4 | 9.8 |
| Region of the Americas | 60.0 | 12.5 |
| African Region | 29.2 | 15.5 |
| South-East Asian Region | 27.6 | 14.0 |
| Eastern Mediterranean Region | 4.1 | 7.4 |
| World Avg | 43.8 | 12.4 |
Countries in North Africa and the Middle East have the lowest alcohol consumption rates due to cultural and religious factors. On the map, these countries can mostly be seen in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean classification, where just 4% of the population consumes alcohol on a semi-regular basis.
Health Consequences of Alcohol Consumption
According to WHO, 2.6 million people (2 million of them men) die from alcohol-related causes each year.
The highest levels of alcohol-attributable deaths per 100,000 people are observed in countries in Africa and Europe.
Globally, an estimated 400 million people, or 7% of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, live with alcohol use disorders, and an estimated 209 million (3.7% of the adult world population) live with alcohol dependence.
If you liked this post, check out Ranked: Which Countries Drink the Most Beer? This graphic compares global beer consumption by country.
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