Alcohol Consumption by Country 2022

Chemically speaking, “alcohol” refers to any carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen-containing organic molecule with the appropriate bonding patterns, such as ethanol (C2H6O).

A common misconception is that “alcohol” simply refers to various kinds of alcohol found in various types of alcoholic drinks. For most people on the planet, alcohol is an essential part of their daily lives.

The fundamentals of alcohol

For the production of alcohol, yeasts or bacteria eat sugars in food to make ethanol and CO2 via fermentation in a mixture of water, grains, vegetables or fruits, and yeast. Both beer and wine are fermented alcohols.

Whiskey, for example, undergoes an extra distillation process that eliminates part of the water, resulting in a greater concentration of alcohol and a more pronounced taste.

Alcohol is a depressant that the government controls. To “loosen up” and “stimulate,” alcohol is often consumed in small doses, such as one or two glasses of beer or wine.

Overconsumption may have depressive consequences, such as sluggishness of motor activities, slurred speech, and slower response times.

A minimum drinking age (usually 18 or 21, although it varies by nation) is established by legislation, which restricts the open carrying of alcohol in public areas, requires liquor licenses for restaurants and retailers, and prohibits the use of motor vehicles while under the influence of alcohol (drunk driving).

What does it mean to “have a drink”?

Drinks in the United States include 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol, equivalent to a 12-ounce beer. For comparability, these popular alcoholic drinks have around the same amount of alcohol like this.

• Beer in a 12-ounce can
• 8 oz. of malt bourbon
• 5 ounces of wine (one typical glass)
• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof (40 percent alcohol content) alcohol that has been distilled

Addiction to alcohol and the consequences of binge drinking

Chronic Alcoholism is characterized by excessive drinking and an obsessive need to drink. A country’s rate of Alcoholism does not always correspond to the country’s rate of alcohol use.

Heavy drinking is defined by the legislation as eight drinks per week for women and 15 drinks per week for men. If you’re a man or a woman, binge drinking is defined as having four or more alcoholic beverages in a single sitting.

Drinking too much alcohol may cause a variety of health issues. High blood pressure, stroke, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy are among the most dangerous side effects of marijuana.

Toxic effects of alcohol include the development of obesity-related liver disease and the development of alcohol-related liver disease and cirrhosis.

There is evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing several cancers, including head and neck, esophageal and liver cancers, breast and colorectal cancers, and other cancers.

Last but not least, drinking may lead to dangerous mishaps due to its effect on one’s judgment and motor abilities.

Consumption of alcohol across the globe

Each country’s laws, culture, and other features all affect how much alcohol is consumed there. All beers, wines, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages were counted by the World Health Organization and converted to liters of pure alcohol.

It’s very uncommon for one bottle of vodka to have over 300 milliliters of pure alcohol. In contrast, a typical 12-ounce beer or 5-ounce wine carries about 0.6 oz (17.8ml) of pure alcohol in the average serving.

Alcohol consumption per capita in the top 10 countries in 2019 (liters of pure alcohol):

1. Czechia – 14.26
2. Latvia – 13.19
3. Moldova – 12.85
4. Germany – 12.79
5. Lithuania – 12.78
6. Ireland – 12.75
7. Spain – 12.67
8. Uganda – 12.48
9. Bulgaria – 12.46
10. Luxembourg – 12.45

The World Health Organization estimates that Czech residents drank 14.26 liters of pure alcoholic beverages in 2019. Following Latvia and Moldova are 13.19 and 12.85 points.

According to the complete list (see table below), annual pure alcohol consumption in 38 nations exceeds 10 liters. The bulk of these nations may be found on the continent of Europe.

In 2019, the average yearly intake of pure alcohol in the United States was 9.97 liters per person. However, this varied from state to state. This ranks the United States 39th globally, much above the global average of 5.8 liters per capita. In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21 and is severely enforced in most areas.

The following is a list of the 10 nations where pure alcohol consumption is the lowest in 2019.

1. Somalia, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia (5-way tie) – 0.00Afghanistan – 0.013
2. Libya – 0.027
3. Yemen – 0.034
4. Egypt – 0.14
5. Syrian Arab Republic – 0.19
6. Bhutan – 0.21
7. Indonesia – 0.22
8. Pakistan – 0.31
9. Djibouti – 0.36

As seen by the region’s very low alcohol usage, most Middle Eastern faiths consider alcohol consumption negatively.

How much alcohol do men and women consume?

Men often consume three times as much alcohol as women do across the world. Let’s say that the combined average in Czechia is 14.6, while the average consumption by gender is just 6.9 liters in women and 22.0 liters in males (both of which are global highs).

A larger gap exists in certain nations. When it comes to consuming alcohol, males in Turkmenistan use 5.26 liters per year, whereas women only consume 1.03 liters per year.

The following are the ten nations where people drink the most alcohol:

1. Latvia (13.19 liters/year)
2. Moldova (12.85 liters/year)
3. Germany (12.79 liters/year)
4. Lithuania (12.78 liters/year)
5. Ireland (12.75 liters/year)
6. Spain (12.67 liters/year)
7. Uganda (12.48 liters/year)
8. Bulgaria (12.46 liters/year)
9. Luxembourg (12.45 liters/year)
10. Romania (12.34 liters/year)

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