Misc
Mapped: Countries by Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
Mapped: Countries by Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
Alcohol might be one of the oldest and most frequently used recreational substances in the world, but examining countries by alcohol consumption shows that usage is not equal.
Consumption levels, and types of alcohol consumed, vary widely based on location. Furthermore, the availability of fruits and grains used in alcohol production impacts which drinks are more commonly consumed, as does the predominant culture. Some cultures see alcohol consumption as a pleasurable experience, while others see intoxication as a sin.
There’s also the question of economics and availability. It’s strange, but in some regions of the world, industrially mass-produced alcohol can flood markets and become cheaper than other beverages, including water.
When we map alcohol consumption by capita, and by different types of alcohol, these local and cultural stories come to light. The above maps use recorded consumption data from WHO for 2019, in liters of pure alcohol.
Europe Leads in Per Capita Alcohol Consumption
The top 10 countries by alcohol consumption highlight the prominence of alcoholic beverages in European culture.
Eight of the 10 countries with the top alcohol consumption per capita were in Europe. Primarily, they were Eastern and Central European countries, including #2 Latvia, #3 Czech Republic, #4 Lithuania, and #5 Austria.
But the crown of alcohol consumption per capita goes to the Cook Islands, which leads the world with an annual per capita consumption of 13L (3.4 gallons) of alcohol.
Location | 2019 Alcohol consumption/capita (L) |
---|---|
Cook Islands | 12.97 |
Latvia | 12.90 |
Czech Republic | 12.73 |
Lithuania | 11.93 |
Austria | 11.90 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 11.88 |
Estonia | 11.65 |
France | 11.44 |
Bulgaria | 11.18 |
Slovenia | 11.05 |
Luxembourg | 11.00 |
Andorra | 10.99 |
Romania | 10.96 |
Poland | 10.96 |
Ireland | 10.91 |
Hungary | 10.79 |
Spain | 10.72 |
Belarus | 10.57 |
Germany | 10.56 |
Portugal | 10.37 |
Slovakia | 10.30 |
Barbados | 9.94 |
Montenegro | 9.91 |
UK | 9.80 |
Cyprus | 9.64 |
Croatia | 9.64 |
Australia | 9.51 |
Seychelles | 9.48 |
Bahamas | 9.48 |
Switzerland | 9.41 |
Saint Lucia | 9.30 |
New Zealand | 9.17 |
Denmark | 9.16 |
Belgium | 9.15 |
U.S. | 8.93 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 8.84 |
Grenada | 8.62 |
Niue | 8.50 |
Japan | 8.36 |
Netherlands | 8.23 |
Finland | 8.23 |
Lao People's Democratic Republic | 8.15 |
Malta | 8.07 |
Canada | 8.00 |
Argentina | 7.95 |
United Republic of Tanzania | 7.81 |
Chile | 7.80 |
South Korea | 7.74 |
Iceland | 7.72 |
Eswatini | 7.68 |
Italy | 7.65 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7.48 |
Serbia | 7.45 |
Republic of Moldova | 7.45 |
Georgia | 7.45 |
Russian Federation | 7.29 |
Burkina Faso | 7.28 |
South Africa | 7.21 |
Sweden | 7.10 |
Thailand | 6.86 |
Uganda | 6.82 |
Suriname | 6.60 |
Panama | 6.54 |
Gabon | 6.47 |
Rwanda | 6.35 |
Greece | 6.33 |
Dominica | 6.32 |
Brazil | 6.12 |
Equatorial Guinea | 6.11 |
Norway | 6.05 |
Botswana | 5.98 |
Belize | 5.93 |
Angola | 5.84 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 5.81 |
Peru | 5.74 |
Congo | 5.74 |
Ukraine | 5.69 |
Dominican Republic | 5.56 |
Paraguay | 5.47 |
Mongolia | 5.46 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.46 |
Uruguay | 5.42 |
Guyana | 5.11 |
Philippines | 4.85 |
Cuba | 4.70 |
Cabo Verde | 4.70 |
Cambodia | 4.56 |
Nigeria | 4.49 |
China | 4.48 |
Albania | 4.40 |
Mexico | 4.25 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 4.23 |
Colombia | 4.09 |
Cameroon | 4.09 |
Burundi | 4.07 |
Kyrgyzstan | 4.02 |
Macedonia | 3.90 |
Zambia | 3.82 |
Armenia | 3.77 |
Kazakhstan | 3.73 |
Nicaragua | 3.69 |
North Korea | 3.61 |
Lesotho | 3.56 |
Jamaica | 3.46 |
Viet Nam | 3.41 |
Mauritius | 3.39 |
Sierra Leone | 3.22 |
Guinea-Bissau | 3.21 |
Liberia | 3.12 |
Zimbabwe | 3.11 |
India | 3.09 |
Israel | 3.07 |
Costa Rica | 3.07 |
Ecuador | 3.05 |
Bolivia | 2.98 |
El Salvador | 2.94 |
Turkmenistan | 2.88 |
Haiti | 2.85 |
Honduras | 2.73 |
Fiji | 2.71 |
Gambia | 2.67 |
Sri Lanka | 2.58 |
Venezuela | 2.51 |
Uzbekistan | 2.45 |
Nauru | 2.44 |
Namibia | 2.38 |
Samoa | 2.18 |
Myanmar | 2.06 |
Malawi | 2.04 |
United Arab Emirates | 2.03 |
Singapore | 1.81 |
Côte d’Ivoire | 1.70 |
Kenya | 1.68 |
Guatemala | 1.63 |
Vanuatu | 1.60 |
Micronesia | 1.59 |
Ghana | 1.59 |
Tunisia | 1.51 |
Mozambique | 1.46 |
Togo | 1.40 |
Maldives | 1.38 |
Azerbaijan | 1.38 |
Papua New Guinea | 1.26 |
Benin | 1.25 |
Solomon Islands | 1.19 |
Turkey | 1.18 |
Bahrain | 1.18 |
Ethiopia | 1.16 |
Lebanon | 1.14 |
Qatar | 0.96 |
Central African Republic | 0.94 |
Tuvalu | 0.93 |
Eritrea | 0.93 |
Madagascar | 0.89 |
Tajikistan | 0.85 |
Brunei Darussalam | 0.69 |
Malaysia | 0.64 |
Mali | 0.60 |
Algeria | 0.59 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0.56 |
Chad | 0.55 |
Morocco | 0.51 |
Oman | 0.47 |
Kiribati | 0.43 |
Timor-Leste | 0.41 |
Nepal | 0.36 |
Guinea | 0.33 |
Tonga | 0.31 |
Senegal | 0.25 |
Jordan | 0.25 |
Djibouti | 0.21 |
Comoros | 0.18 |
Iraq | 0.16 |
Egypt | 0.14 |
Syrian Arab Republic | 0.13 |
Niger | 0.11 |
Indonesia | 0.08 |
Bhutan | 0.07 |
Pakistan | 0.04 |
Yemen | 0.02 |
Iran | 0.02 |
Libya | 0.01 |
Afghanistan | 0.01 |
Somalia | 0 |
Saudi Arabia | 0 |
Mauritania | 0 |
Kuwait | 0 |
Bangladesh | 0 |
At the bottom of the consumption charts? Not surprisingly, it’s Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Muslim countries where intoxication is religiously prohibited.
Regional Disparities in Alcohol Consumption
Per capita consumption of alcohol also highlights clear regional preferences in amount and type, or a lack of interest.
The biggest consumers of alcohol are countries in Central Europe, the South Pacific, and parts of the Caribbean. In Europe, beer and wine are kings, with most of the top consumers also being top producers such as France and Germany.
Spirits like rum, meanwhile, are dominant in the Cook Islands and much of the Caribbean, which has four of the 12 top spirit consumers. The others are mainly in Eastern Europe and Russia, which get most of their alcohol consumption from vodka.
Top Consuming Country by Alcohol | Type | Consumption/Capita |
---|---|---|
Czech Republic | Beer | 6.77L |
France | Wine | 6.44L |
Cook Islands | Spirits | 7.07L |
Tanzania | Others | 6.60L |
The importance of local crops couldn’t be overstated. Regions like Africa and Asia that struggle with the right conditions for grapes or hops saw higher consumption of “other” distilled drinks.
These include rice alcohol in South Korea and Japan, and drinks made from sugarcane, molasses, and even bananas in African countries like Tanzania.
Unlike goods like coffee or tea, alcohol can be produced from many different grains, fruits, or sources of sugar that can be fermented—so it’s natural that regional differences in types, amounts, and even cultural importance would arise.
But as one of the world’s most widely used recreational drugs, it’s played a storied role throughout history that is certain to continue evolving.
Misc
Comparing Population Pyramids Around the World
Population pyramids can show a country’s demographic advantages and challenges at a glance. See how different parts of the world stack up.

Understanding and Comparing Population Pyramids
Demographic data can reveal all kinds of insights about a population, from the country’s fertility and mortality rates to how certain events and policies have shaped the makeup of a population.
Population pyramids are one of the best ways to visualize population data, and comparing the pyramids of various countries and regions side-by-side can reveal unexpected insights and differences between groups.
This graphic uses population data from the United Nations to compare the demographics of some select nations and regions of the world, showcasing how much age distributions can vary.
Three Types of Population Pyramids
Although population pyramids can come in all shapes and sizes, most generally fall into three distinct categories:
- Expansive Pyramids: Recognized by their traditional “pyramid-like” shape with a broad base and narrow top, expansive pyramids reflect a population with a high birth rate along with a high mortality rate which is most common in developing countries.
- Constrictive Pyramids: With a narrow base and thicker middle and top sections of the pyramid, constrictive pyramids often occur in developed economies whose populations have low birth rates and long life expectancies.
- Stationary Pyramids: These pyramids showcase an evenly distributed population across age groups, often found in newly-developed countries which have stable birth and mortality rates.
Each population pyramid is essentially a visual snapshot of a nation’s current demographic breakdown, shaped by fluctuating birth and mortality rates as well as changes to immigration and social policies.
Understanding the inherent risks associated with different pyramid types can help give insight into the challenges these populations face.
The Risks of Different Population Pyramid Types
Each type of population pyramid structure has unique challenges and advantages often characterized by the country or region’s current stage of economic development.
Populations with expansive pyramids, such as the one representing the continent of Africa, have the advantage of a larger youth and working-aged population, however this advantage can be rendered null if job growth, education, and health care aren’t prioritized.
Countries with constrictive pyramids like Japan face the challenge of supporting their outsized aging population with a diminishing working-aged population. While immigration and increasing birth rates can help in both the short and long term, due to the working population being outnumbered, countries with constrictive pyramids must find ways to increase their productivity to avoid potential declines in economic growth.
China and India’s Demographics Compared
After the world’s population reached eight billion people last year, 2023 brought a new population milestone as India overtook China as the world’s most populous country.
When you compare the two nations’ population pyramids, you can see how India’s population has a strong base of young and working-aged people compared to China’s more constrictive population pyramid that also features a higher median age.
This demographic difference is largely shaped by China’s one-child policy which since 2021 was loosened to be a three-child policy. As a result, China’s total fertility rate is around 1.2 today, in contrast to India’s total fertility rate of 2.0.
While India is set to ride the productivity boom of its large working-age population, the country will have to ensure it can keep its population pyramid stable as the majority of the population ages and total fertility rates continue to decline.
![]() |
Interested in learning more about the various factors that affect demographics?
VC+ Members get an exclusive look comparing the G7 and BRICS nations, how war shapes population pyramids, and immigration’s role in demographics. Unlock this in-depth briefing and hundreds of other visual insights with our newly available VC+ Archive. |
-
Economy2 weeks ago
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
-
AI2 weeks ago
Ranked: The World’s Top 25 Websites in 2023
-
Misc4 weeks ago
Ranked: Top 10 Cities Where International Travelers Spend the Most
-
Technology2 weeks ago
Visualizing the Top U.S. States for AI Jobs
-
VC+4 weeks ago
Coming Soon: Here’s What’s Coming to VC+ Next
-
Maps1 week ago
Mapped: Renewable Energy and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
-
Demographics4 weeks ago
Visualizing the American Workforce as 100 People
-
Technology1 week ago
Nvidia Joins the Trillion Dollar Club