Countries that drink the most alcohol in the world revealed
OECD data shows Lithuania had the highest consumption, followed by Austria, Estonia, and the Czech Republic
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Your support makes all the difference.In some countries, people drink a lot. In others, not so much.
In their latest report, the OECD showed in which countries people consumed the most alcohol for 2013, and compared it to the amount people consumed back in 2000.
According to their data, Lithuania reported the highest consumption of alcohol at around 14 liters per capita per year. It was followed closely by Austria, Estonia, and the Czech Republic, with each around 11-12 liters per capita.
On the flip side, the lowest alcohol consumption was reported in Indonesia at nearly 0. It was followed closely by Turkey, India, and Israel, all of which hovered between 1-3 litres per capita. Notably, some groups of people in the aforementioned countries limit their consumption of alcohol due to religious or cultural reasons.
In most countries people consumed less alcohol in 2013 than in 2000. However, consumption in countries like Lithuania, Poland, and Russia actually rose over that time period.
"OECD analysis based on individual-level data show that hazardous drinking and heavy episodic drinking are on the rise in young people and women especially. Men of low socioeconomic status are more likely to drink heavily than those of a higher socioeconomic status, while the opposite is observed in women," according to the report.
Interestingly, the report also notes that, "alcohol consumption is highly concentrated, as the large majority of alcohol is drunk by the 20% of the population who rink the most ... The 20% heaviest drinkers in Hungary consume about 90% of all alcohol consumed, while in France the share is about 50%."
Notably, the OECD defined "alcohol consumption" as the annual sales of pure alcohol in litres per person aged 15 years and up. That means their data excludes things like moonshine, which actually makes up a large percentage of the total alcohol consumed in some countries.
In any case, click here to enlarge the graphic below, showing who drinks the most.
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