By All Things Beverages | allthingsbeverages.co.za
Here’s a question for your next braai argument: which country drinks the most alcohol in the world? Germany? Ireland? Russia? Australia?
The answer might surprise you. It’s Romania — and it’s not particularly close.
Whether you’re curious about where South Africa sits globally (spoiler: much higher than most people think), which regions dominate the world’s drinking culture, or which countries drink the least, we’ve dug into the latest WHO data to give you the full picture.
Grab a dumpie. Let’s get into it.
How is alcohol consumption actually measured?
Before the rankings, a quick note on the numbers — because this is where a lot of confusion comes in.
Alcohol consumption is measured in litres of pure alcohol per person per year, not litres of beer or wine. Because different drinks have different alcohol percentages (roughly 5% for beer, 12% for wine, 40% for spirits), statisticians convert everything into pure alcohol equivalent for a fair comparison.
The global average sits at around 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per person per year. Everything on this list is well above that.
There’s also an important distinction between two ways of measuring:
- Total population per capita — the total alcohol consumed divided by every person over 15, including non-drinkers. This gives a broader societal picture.
- Per drinker per capita — only counting people who actually drink. This tells you how heavily drinkers drink.
Both numbers matter, and they paint very different pictures of a country’s drinking culture — especially for places like South Africa, where a large proportion of the population doesn’t drink at all, but those who do drink very heavily indeed.
The Countries That Drink the Most Alcohol — Global Rankings
1. Romania — 17.1 litres per capita
Region: Eastern Europe Signature drink: Ţuică (plum brandy), wine, beer
Romania tops the global rankings and has done so consistently, with the average Romanian consuming approximately 17.1 litres of pure alcohol per year — more than three times the global average. Men in Romania average an extraordinary 27.3 litres annually, among the highest for any gender in any country on earth.
From village celebrations to urban nightlife, alcohol is deeply embedded in Romanian culture. The country’s signature drink is ţuică — a traditional plum brandy that most Romanians produce at home, often in small distilleries passed down through generations. Beer has also grown steadily, and Romanian wine — particularly from the Moldavian and Transylvanian regions — is gaining international recognition.
This isn’t just casual social drinking. Romania also carries significant alcohol-related health burdens, with liver disease and alcohol-related mortality rates among the highest in Europe.
2. Georgia — 15.5 litres per capita
Region: Caucasus Signature drink: Qvevri wine, chacha (grape brandy)
Georgia’s position near the top of global alcohol rankings comes with important context: this is the cradle of wine. Archaeological evidence suggests that wine has been produced in Georgia for over 8,000 years — the oldest known winemaking tradition in the world. It’s not just a drink here; it’s a cultural cornerstone.
Drinking in Georgia is inseparable from the supra — the traditional Georgian feast where a tamada (toastmaster) leads elaborate, often lengthy rounds of toasts. Refusing a toast can be considered deeply disrespectful. At a formal supra, you can expect many rounds of wine across many hours.
Georgia’s high consumption figures among drinkers (approximately 15.5 litres per capita) largely reflect this deeply embedded wine and chacha (homemade grape brandy) culture, particularly in rural communities.
3. Latvia — 14.7 litres per capita
Region: Northern Europe / Baltic States Signature drink: Beer, Riga Black Balsam (herbal liqueur)
Latvia sits consistently in the top five globally, alongside its Baltic neighbours Lithuania and Estonia — all of which appear in the top 15. Cold winters, a strong pub culture, and deeply embedded drinking traditions across all social occasions contribute to some of Europe’s highest per capita consumption.
Latvia’s most famous export is Riga Black Balsam — a distinctive, intensely herbal liqueur made from 24 plants, flowers, buds, juices, roots, oils, and berries, produced since 1752. It’s an acquired taste, to put it politely, but Latvians are fiercely proud of it.
4. Moldova — 14.1 litres per capita
Region: Eastern Europe Signature drink: Wine, divin (brandy)
Moldova is one of the world’s most wine-dependent economies — vineyards cover a remarkable proportion of the country’s total agricultural land, and wine production is central to both the culture and the economy. The country has a complex relationship with alcohol, with very high consumption rates particularly among men in rural areas.
Moldova’s Cricova winery is home to one of the world’s largest wine cellars — a vast underground city stretching over 120 kilometres of tunnels. Wine tourism here is extraordinary.
5. Czechia — 13.7 litres per capita
Region: Central Europe Signature drink: Beer (Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Budvar)
Czechia has one of the most celebrated beer cultures on the planet — and the numbers back it up. The Czech Republic consistently holds the world record for beer consumption per capita, with Czechs drinking more beer per person than any other nation. Per the latest data, Czech beer consumption sits at approximately 170 litres per person per year — well ahead of second-place Austria.
The Czech brewing tradition dates back centuries, and the country gave the world the pilsner style of beer (from the city of Plzeň, home of Pilsner Urquell). Beer here is cheap, universally available, and a cornerstone of daily social life in a way that makes South African braai culture look almost restrained.
6. Lithuania — 13.2 litres per capita
Region: Northern Europe / Baltic States Signature drink: Beer, krupnikas (honey liqueur)
Another Baltic state in the top 10, Lithuania has been battling one of Europe’s most serious alcohol-related public health crises for decades. In response, the government has introduced some of the continent’s strictest alcohol regulations — including raising the legal drinking age to 20, banning alcohol advertising, restricting sales hours, and mandating health warnings on all packaging.
Despite this, Lithuania’s per capita consumption remains stubbornly high — a reminder that policy alone can’t quickly reverse deeply embedded cultural drinking patterns.
7. Namibia — 12.0 litres per capita
Region: Southern Africa Signature drink: Windhoek Lager, Tafel Lager, tombo (traditional beer)
Here’s where things get interesting for South African readers. Namibia is the highest-ranking non-European nation in global alcohol consumption — sitting at approximately 12 litres per capita and placing seventh in the world. This is remarkable given that Namibia’s population is relatively small and a significant portion abstains.
Namibia’s beer culture is closely tied to its German colonial history — the country was once German South West Africa, and German brewing traditions took root so deeply that Namibian lager (brewed to the German Reinheitsgebot purity standard) is considered among the best in Africa. Windhoek Lager, which we love on this side of the Orange River too, is brewed using only barley malt, hops, and water.
8. Germany — 12.2 litres per capita
Region: Western Europe Signature drink: Beer (every style imaginable), Riesling wine, Jägermeister
Germany’s reputation for beer drinking is globally legendary — and statistically well-earned. With over 1,300 breweries producing more than 5,000 different beers, Germany takes its brewing culture seriously. Oktoberfest alone sees approximately 6 million litres of beer consumed over 16–18 days.
Beyond beer, Germany produces some of the world’s finest Riesling wines and is the home of Jägermeister — the herbal liqueur that has found its way behind every bar on earth. At 12.2 litres per capita, Germany sits comfortably in the world’s top 10.
9. Austria — 12.0 litres per capita
Region: Central Europe Signature drink: Beer, Grüner Veltliner wine, Schnaps
Austria shares Germany’s beer culture (and several beer styles) but adds a world-class wine tradition on top. The Viennese Heuriger (wine tavern) is a cultural institution — locals spend long evenings at these neighbourhood wine gardens drinking local Grüner Veltliner and chatting, in a tradition that dates back to the 18th century.
10. Ireland — 11.9 litres per capita
Region: Western Europe Signature drink: Guinness, Irish whiskey (Jameson, Bushmills)
Ireland’s global reputation as a drinking culture is well-deserved statistically. The Irish tend to socialise in pubs rather than cafes or restaurants, and the country produces some of the world’s most sought-after whiskeys — Jameson being the most recognised globally.
According to OECD data, 33% of Irish adults engage in binge drinking at least once a month. This pattern of heavy episodic drinking rather than daily moderate consumption is characteristic of Irish drinking culture, and contributes to significant public health concerns despite the country’s relatively sociable, pub-centred drinking image.
Other notable countries in the top 20
- Australia — 10.6 litres. Beer-forward, strong pub culture, high binge-drinking rates
- France — 11.4 litres. Wine-dominant, daily consumption culture, though drinking has been declining for decades
- Poland — 11.6 litres. Vodka nation, with 35% of adults binge drinking at least monthly
- United Kingdom — 11.4 litres. Pub culture, binge drinking, though consumption has declined steadily since 2004
- United States — 9.8 litres. Above global average, though well below European heavyweights
- Uganda — 12.2 litres. The highest-consuming country in sub-Saharan Africa, driven largely by unrecorded home-brewed alcohol
Where does South Africa rank?
This is the part South African readers will find most eye-opening.
Measured across the total population (including the 69% of South Africans who don’t drink at all), South Africa’s per capita consumption sits at approximately 9.3 litres — placing the country around 50th globally. Above average globally, but not near the top.
But here’s the striking number: when you measure only among drinkers, South Africa’s per capita consumption rockets to 28.9 litres of pure alcohol per year — placing it fifth highest in the world, behind only Namibia, Eswatini, Cook Islands, and Tunisia.
In practical terms: South Africa has a split drinking culture. The majority abstains. But among those who drink, consumption levels are among the heaviest on earth — characterised by binge drinking patterns rather than daily moderate consumption.
The average South African drinker consumes 30 litres of alcohol per year. Neighbouring Namibia sits at 33 litres and Eswatini at 34 litres.
Among SA drinkers, 62% of males drink on a weekly or monthly basis, compared to 36% of females. Beer is the dominant category for men, while women lean toward flavoured alcoholic beverages, wine, and gin.
The countries that drink the least
For balance, the opposite end of the spectrum is equally fascinating.
The lowest alcohol consumption countries are overwhelmingly in the Muslim-majority world — where religious and cultural norms prohibit or strongly discourage drinking. Countries including Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Yemen, and Bangladesh all record consumption levels close to zero.
Beyond religious prohibition, India has a complex relationship with alcohol — consumption is low nationally but rising rapidly, particularly among the urban middle class. Several Indian states are completely dry.
China sits at the global average despite having the world’s largest population — though consumption has been rising rapidly, particularly in urban areas, driven by beer and baijiu (a powerful grain spirit).
Why does Eastern Europe dominate the rankings?
Of the top 30 highest-consuming countries, 22 are in Europe — and the majority of the very top rankings are Eastern European. Several factors contribute:
Climate: Cold winters naturally push people toward warming, high-alcohol drinks — spirits and strong beers rather than light lagers or wine.
History: The Soviet era normalised heavy vodka consumption across much of Eastern Europe and the former USSR. Post-Soviet economic disruption in the 1990s coincided with a spike in alcohol use that researchers are still tracking.
Homemade production: Countries like Romania, Georgia, and Moldova have deep traditions of home distilling — ţuică, chacha, and samogon are all produced domestically at scale, often outside official statistics.
Weak regulation: Many of the highest-consuming countries have historically had limited alcohol regulations — low pricing, high availability, minimal advertising restrictions, and weak enforcement.
FAQs
Which country drinks the most alcohol in the world? Romania, at approximately 17.1 litres of pure alcohol per capita per year — more than three times the global average of 5.5 litres.
Where does South Africa rank globally? Around 50th by total population per capita (9.3 litres), but fifth in the world when measuring only among drinkers — at 28.9 litres per drinker per year.
Which continent drinks the most alcohol? Europe by a significant margin. Of the top 30 highest-consuming countries, 22 are in Europe, with Eastern and Central Europe dominating the very top of the rankings.
Which countries drink the least alcohol? Predominantly Muslim-majority countries, where religious and cultural norms prohibit or discourage drinking. Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Libya all record consumption levels close to zero.
Is the world drinking more or less? The trend is mixed. Western Europe and Australia have seen declining consumption over the past two decades. Consumption is rising in parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America as disposable incomes increase. Globally, total consumption has been broadly flat, but patterns are shifting.
The bottom line
The world’s relationship with alcohol is shaped by culture, climate, religion, economics, and history in ways that are genuinely fascinating. Romania drinks three times the global average. South Africa’s drinkers rank among the world’s heaviest. Ireland’s reputation is completely statistically justified. And Namibia — right next door — is punching harder than Germany.
For South Africans, the picture is a useful reminder: it’s not just how much a country drinks on average, but how those who do drink, drink. And on that measure, we’re near the very top of the global rankings.
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