Maps
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.
Maps
Mapped: Which Countries Recognize Israel or Palestine, or Both?
In this visualization, we look at how international recognition of Israel and Palestine breaks down among the 193 UN member states.

Which Countries Recognize Israel or Palestine, or Both?
The modern-day conflict between Israel and Palestine emerged from the British Mandate for Palestine, which administered the former Ottoman Empire territory after World War I. But even after 75 years—and declarations of independence from each side—universal recognition eludes them.
In this visualization, we look at how Israel and Palestine recognition breaks down among the 193 UN member states as of November 14, 2023, using Wikpedia data for each state.
This post is a companion piece to separate maps showing the recognition of Israel and of Palestine by country.
A Declaration of Independence
The Jewish People’s Council declared the foundation of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 (the same day that the last British forces left Haifa) on the basis of the 1947 UN Partition Plan, which divided the Mandate territories between Jewish and Arab populations.
U.S. President Truman granted de-facto recognition 11 minutes after the Israeli declaration. Not to be outdone by their Cold War adversary, the U.S.S.R. followed suit three days later with de-jure recognition and was joined by Warsaw Pact allies Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Poland.
By the end of 1948, 21 countries recognized Israel.
A Second Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence for the State of Palestine, comprising the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, didn’t happen until 40 years later.
In the midst of the First Intifada, a five-year-long Palestinian uprising that began in 1987, the Palestine Liberation Organization proclaimed the new state in the city of Algiers on November 15, 1988.
A dozen countries, including 10 members of the Arab League along with Malaysia and Yemen, immediately recognized the new state. The Soviet Union, the Eastern Bloc, and most of the Muslim world also joined in recognizing the State of Palestine.
Recognition of Israel and Palestine by Country
As of November 2023, 163 UN member states have recognized Israel, while 138 have recognized Palestine.
UN Member State | Recognize Israel 🇮🇱 | Recognize Palestine 🇵🇸 | |
---|---|---|---|
🇦🇫 | Afghanistan | No | Yes |
🇦🇱 | Albania | Yes | Yes |
🇩🇿 | Algeria | No | Yes |
🇦🇩 | Andorra | Yes | No |
🇦🇴 | Angola | Yes | Yes |
🇦🇬 | Antigua and Barbuda | Yes | Yes |
🇦🇷 | Argentina | Yes | Yes |
🇦🇲 | Armenia | Yes | No |
🇦🇺 | Australia | Yes | No |
🇦🇹 | Austria | Yes | No |
🇦🇿 | Azerbaijan | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇸 | Bahamas | Yes | No |
🇧🇭 | Bahrain | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇩 | Bangladesh | No | Yes |
🇧🇧 | Barbados | Yes | No |
🇧🇾 | Belarus | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇪 | Belgium | Yes | No |
🇧🇿 | Belize | No | Yes |
🇧🇯 | Benin | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇹 | Bhutan | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇴 | Bolivia | No | Yes |
🇧🇦 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇼 | Botswana | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇷 | Brazil | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇳 | Brunei | No | Yes |
🇧🇬 | Bulgaria | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇫 | Burkina Faso | Yes | Yes |
🇧🇮 | Burundi | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇭 | Cambodia | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇲 | Cameroon | Yes | No |
🇨🇦 | Canada | Yes | No |
🇨🇻 | Cape Verde | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇫 | Central African Republic | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇩 | Chad | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇱 | Chile | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇳 | China | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇴 | Colombia | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇲 | Comoros | No | Yes |
🇨🇷 | Costa Rica | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇮 | Côte d'Ivoire | Yes | Yes |
🇭🇷 | Croatia | Yes | No |
🇨🇺 | Cuba | No | Yes |
🇨🇾 | Cyprus | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇿 | Czechia | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇩 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Yes | Yes |
🇩🇰 | Denmark | Yes | No |
🇩🇯 | Djibouti | No | Yes |
🇩🇲 | Dominica | Yes | Yes |
🇩🇴 | Dominican Republic | Yes | Yes |
🇪🇨 | Ecuador | Yes | Yes |
🇪🇬 | Egypt | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇻 | El Salvador | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇶 | Equatorial Guinea | Yes | Yes |
🇪🇷 | Eritrea | Yes | No |
🇪🇪 | Estonia | Yes | No |
🇸🇿 | Eswatini | Yes | Yes |
🇪🇹 | Ethiopia | Yes | Yes |
🇫🇲 | Federated States of Micronesia | Yes | No |
🇫🇯 | Fiji | Yes | No |
🇫🇮 | Finland | Yes | No |
🇫🇷 | France | Yes | No |
🇬🇦 | Gabon | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇪 | Georgia | Yes | Yes |
🇩🇪 | Germany | Yes | No |
🇬🇭 | Ghana | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇷 | Greece | Yes | No |
🇬🇩 | Grenada | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇹 | Guatemala | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇳 | Guinea | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇼 | Guinea-Bissau | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇾 | Guyana | Yes | Yes |
🇭🇹 | Haiti | Yes | Yes |
🇭🇳 | Honduras | Yes | Yes |
🇭🇺 | Hungary | Yes | Yes |
🇮🇸 | Iceland | Yes | Yes |
🇮🇳 | India | Yes | Yes |
🇮🇩 | Indonesia | No | Yes |
🇮🇷 | Iran | No | Yes |
🇮🇶 | Iraq | No | Yes |
🇮🇪 | Ireland | Yes | No |
🇮🇱 | Israel | Yes | No |
🇮🇹 | Italy | Yes | No |
🇯🇲 | Jamaica | Yes | No |
🇯🇵 | Japan | Yes | No |
🇯🇴 | Jordan | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇿 | Kazakhstan | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇪 | Kenya | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇮 | Kiribati | Yes | No |
🇰🇼 | Kuwait | No | Yes |
🇰🇬 | Kyrgyzstan | Yes | Yes |
🇱🇦 | Laos | Yes | Yes |
🇱🇻 | Latvia | Yes | No |
🇱🇧 | Lebanon | No | Yes |
🇱🇸 | Lesotho | Yes | Yes |
🇱🇷 | Liberia | Yes | Yes |
🇱🇾 | Libya | No | Yes |
🇱🇮 | Liechtenstein | Yes | No |
🇱🇹 | Lithuania | Yes | No |
🇱🇺 | Luxembourg | Yes | No |
🇲🇬 | Madagascar | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇼 | Malawi | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇾 | Malaysia | No | Yes |
🇲🇻 | Maldives | No | Yes |
🇲🇱 | Mali | No | Yes |
🇲🇹 | Malta | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇭 | Marshall Islands | Yes | No |
🇲🇷 | Mauritania | No | Yes |
🇲🇺 | Mauritius | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇽 | Mexico | Yes | No |
🇲🇩 | Moldova | Yes | No |
🇲🇨 | Monaco | Yes | No |
🇲🇳 | Mongolia | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇪 | Montenegro | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇦 | Morocco | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇿 | Mozambique | Yes | Yes |
🇲🇲 | Myanmar | Yes | No |
🇳🇦 | Namibia | Yes | Yes |
🇳🇷 | Nauru | Yes | No |
🇳🇵 | Nepal | Yes | Yes |
🇳🇱 | Netherlands | Yes | No |
🇳🇿 | New Zealand | Yes | No |
🇳🇮 | Nicaragua | Yes | Yes |
🇳🇪 | Niger | No | Yes |
🇳🇬 | Nigeria | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇵 | North Korea | No | Yes |
🇲🇰 | North Macedonia | Yes | No |
🇳🇴 | Norway | Yes | No |
🇴🇲 | Oman | No | Yes |
🇵🇰 | Pakistan | No | Yes |
🇵🇼 | Palau | Yes | No |
🇵🇦 | Panama | Yes | No |
🇵🇬 | Papua New Guinea | Yes | Yes |
🇵🇾 | Paraguay | Yes | Yes |
🇵🇪 | Peru | Yes | Yes |
🇵🇭 | Philippines | Yes | Yes |
🇵🇱 | Poland | Yes | Yes |
🇵🇹 | Portugal | Yes | No |
🇶🇦 | Qatar | No | Yes |
🇨🇬 | Republic of the Congo | Yes | Yes |
🇷🇴 | Romania | Yes | Yes |
🇷🇺 | Russia | Yes | Yes |
🇷🇼 | Rwanda | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇳 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Yes | Yes |
🇱🇨 | Saint Lucia | Yes | Yes |
🇻🇨 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Yes | Yes |
🇼🇸 | Samoa | Yes | No |
🇸🇲 | San Marino | Yes | No |
🇸🇹 | São Tomé and Príncipe | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇦 | Saudi Arabia | No | Yes |
🇸🇳 | Senegal | Yes | Yes |
🇷🇸 | Serbia | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇨 | Seychelles | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇱 | Sierra Leone | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇬 | Singapore | Yes | No |
🇸🇰 | Slovakia | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇮 | Slovenia | Yes | No |
🇸🇧 | Solomon Islands | Yes | No |
🇸🇴 | Somalia | No | Yes |
🇿🇦 | South Africa | Yes | Yes |
🇰🇷 | South Korea | Yes | No |
🇸🇸 | South Sudan | Yes | Yes |
🇪🇸 | Spain | Yes | No |
🇱🇰 | Sri Lanka | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇩 | Sudan | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇷 | Suriname | Yes | Yes |
🇸🇪 | Sweden | Yes | Yes |
🇨🇭 | Switzerland | Yes | No |
🇸🇾 | Syria | No | Yes |
🇹🇯 | Tajikistan | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇿 | Tanzania | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇭 | Thailand | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇲 | The Gambia | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇱 | Timor-Leste | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇬 | Togo | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇴 | Tonga | Yes | No |
🇹🇹 | Trinidad and Tobago | Yes | No |
🇹🇳 | Tunisia | No | Yes |
🇹🇷 | Türkiye | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇲 | Turkmenistan | Yes | Yes |
🇹🇻 | Tuvalu | Yes | No |
🇺🇬 | Uganda | Yes | Yes |
🇺🇦 | Ukraine | Yes | Yes |
🇦🇪 | United Arab Emirates | Yes | Yes |
🇬🇧 | United Kingdom | Yes | No |
🇺🇸 | United States | Yes | No |
🇺🇾 | Uruguay | Yes | Yes |
🇺🇿 | Uzbekistan | Yes | Yes |
🇻🇺 | Vanuatu | Yes | Yes |
🇻🇪 | Venezuela | No | Yes |
🇻🇳 | Vietnam | Yes | Yes |
🇾🇪 | Yemen | No | Yes |
🇿🇲 | Zambia | Yes | Yes |
🇿🇼 | Zimbabwe | Yes | Yes |
Most of the countries that do not currently recognize Israel are Muslim-majority countries. However, some Muslim-majority countries have recognized Israel, such as Egypt and Jordan, who specifically agreed to do so under peace treaties signed in 1979 and 1994 respectively.
Several conflicts have also resulted in some countries suspending relations with Israel. The 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli Wars (also called the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War, respectively) all saw countries suspend diplomatic relations, including Mali and the Maldives. In the case of Eastern Bloc countries that did so in 1967 and 1973, many resumed relations after the fall of the Soviet Union.
On the other side, despite more countries recognizing the State of Palestine over time, none of the G7 and only nine of the G20 have recognized the state. Similarly, only a minority of the EU has endorsed the declaration.
Present-Day
Israel and Palestine continue to vie for recognition in the international arena, with the former gaining recognition from a few countries including Bhutan and the UAE in 2020, and the latter from Colombia in 2018 and Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2019.
But universal recognition continues to elude both sides, with many countries awaiting a formal resolution to the conflict from the two sides.
It’s worth noting that both Israel and Palestine took steps towards recognition under the Oslo Accords, signed on September 13, 1993. The agreement saw Palestine recognize the State of Israel, put an end to the First Intifada, and allowed for limited self-government under a new Palestinian National Authority in Gaza and the West Bank. It promised to lay the groundwork for a two-state solution; a promise of peace that has yet to be realized.
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