Alcohol existed in ancient times, but production technologies are still being improved today. From year to year, new drinks containing large or small amounts of alcohol appear on the market, and the number of drinking citizens is growing. Alcohol consumption varies around the world. There are countries where drinks of this type are generally prohibited, but even there they are consumed in small quantities by visitors or tourists.
Statistical agencies, for example Statista, take as a basis:
It should be noted that the data sometimes varies slightly. The purpose of compiling ratings and studies is to indicate to the governments of countries that there are serious problems.
The publication notes that it additionally took into account the level of beer consumption. Belgium came out on top among drinking states due to the developed culture of drinking this drink. They drink it here very often. The country produces 1600 various types alcoholic drink.
Analytical data from Statista
According to statistics, the level of alcohol consumption in the world either increases or decreases again. It cannot be argued that the low standard of living of the population encourages citizens to drink more. The graphs show the opposite. In addition, cultural characteristics have an influence: Muslim countries are not aware of the problem of drunkenness. The exception is Nigeria. In this country, the number of Muslims is at least 50%, but this did not stop it from becoming the most drunk on the African continent. In WHO world statistics, the state is among the top ten.
| № | Country | l./year per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Republic of Moldova | 15,2 |
| 2 | Lithuania | 15,0 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 14,4 |
| 4 | Federal Republic of Germany | 13,4 |
| 5 | Nigeria | 13,4 |
| 6 | Duchy of Luxembourg | 13,0 |
| 7 | Ireland | 13,0 |
| 8 | Republic of Latvia | 12,9 |
| 9 | Bulgaria | 12,7 |
| 10 | Slovenia | 12,6 |
| 11 | Romania | 12,6 |
| 12 | France | 12,6 |
| 13 | Portugal | 12,3 |
| 14 | Kingdom of Belgium | 12,1 |
| 15 | Seychelles | 12,0 |
| 16 | Russian Federation | 11,7 |
| 17 | Republic of Poland | 11,6 |
| 18 | Republic of Estonia | 11,6 |
On the list of the world's most drinking countries, along with poor and developing countries, there are economically developed countries with a high level of income. This suggests that the main problem of drunkenness is the culture of drinking alcohol.
People are sometimes wary of strong alcohol, but they drink large quantities of wine, beer, and cocktails. In Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries around the world, beer festivals are officially held. They have become traditional and attract a large number of tourists.
Oktoberfest in Germany
Another reason for the increase in the number of people drinking around the world and in certain countries is the fashion for alcohol. The appearance on the market of Russia, Belarus and other countries of low-alcohol cocktails in bright cans and bottles has led to the highest jump in drunkenness. A small proportion of ethyl alcohol, and a person begins to think that nothing bad will happen. It is noteworthy that two years ago the WHO recognized Belarus as the most drinking state. Today it ranks 27th.
We should not forget about the problem of alcohol availability. In residential areas of the Maldives, India, and the United Arab Emirates, it is extremely difficult to find a bottle of alcohol.
In the countries presented in the table above, alcohol is available, it is varied in price so that every resident can afford to drink.
Let's compare the indicators of the represented states over several years. This will allow you to find out how quickly the situation is changing. We’ll tell you what influences the indicators and inclusion in the ranking of the most drinking countries.
| Country | 2014, l. | 2016, l. | 2018, l. | Dynamics, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Moldova | 18,22 | 16,8 | 15,2 | -16,5 |
| Lithuania | 15,03 | 15,4 | 15,0 | -0,2 |
| Czech Republic | 16,45 | 13,0 | 14,4 | -14,2 |
| Germany | 12,81 | 11,8 | 13,4 | +4,4 |
| Nigeria | 12,28 | 10,1 | 13,4 | +8,4 |
| Duchy of Luxembourg | 13,01 | 12,9 | 13,0 | -0,03 |
| Ireland | 14,41 | 11,9 | 13,0 | -10,8 |
| Republic of Latvia | 12,5 | 12,3 | 12,9 | +3,1 |
| Republic of Bulgaria | 12,44 | 11,4 | 12,7 | +2,05 |
| Republic of Slovenia | 15,19 | 12,6 | 12,6 | -20,56 |
| Romania | 15,3 | 14,4 | 12,6 | -21,43 |
| France | 13,66 | 12,2 | 12,6 | -8,4 |
| Portugal | 14,55 | 12,9 | 12,3 | -18,3 |
| Kingdom of Belgium | 10,77 | 11 | 12,1 | +11 |
| Seychelles | 10,59 | 9,8 | 12,0 | +11,75 |
| Russian Federation | 15,76 | 15,1 | 11,7 | -34,7 |
| Republic of Poland | 13,25 | 12,5 | 11,6 | -14,22 |
| Republic of Estonia | 15,57 | 10,3 | 11,6 | -34,22 |
In Western Europe, alcohol is sold to young people over the age of 18, sometimes earlier. There is no special control over this. Countries individually pass laws restricting the sale of alcohol and surrogate products. In Scandinavian countries, alcohol is very expensive, and here the state shows interest in curing addicted citizens.
Over the past years, WHO has observed a significant decrease in alcohol consumption in Russia. The Ministry of Health reported on the work done and said that a positive trend has emerged thanks to:
Drinking citizens have given up significant consumption of beer and cocktails; young people have begun to drink less of the strongest alcohol, vodka and cognac. The main unresolved problem is the availability of a surrogate. Let us recall that in 2016, 77 people died from ingestion of cosmetic lotion. The tincture was officially distributed through special machines.
Alcohol consumption statistics in the world
Strong alcohol consumption is on the rise in Eastern Europe. If we talk about Germany, the residents of this drinking country began to drink more wine.
In Poland, where traditional drinks– these are tinctures that fight the consequences of alcoholism. Doing business on tourists, the Poles quickly realized that this had become a problem. Teenagers and students began to drink.
As for the Seychelles, the appearance of the state among the eighteen drinkers is not accidental: the increase in the number of tourists affects the statistics of the list.
In the two Americas, the top three drinking leaders are:
More recently, our country was among the top ten states that bear the title of drinkers. However, the myth about how much people drink in Russia has been around for a very long time. Foreigners traditionally associate the largest country in the world with the balalaika, the bear, the matryoshka doll and vodka, of which Russia is not the birthplace. Why is this happening?
The reason for the association with drinkers lies in the culture of drink consumption. In Russia, since ancient times, it has been customary to drink for any reason: a holiday, grief, a heart-to-heart conversation, a new acquaintance. The adult generation taught the youth, and there was no talk of savoring the strong drink.
Rosstat data by region
Today Russia is not the most drinking state, but the problem cannot be ignored. The top 18 shows that we are in a vulnerable position: at the same time, there is a tendency to reduce alcohol consumption, and on the other hand, there is a threshold value for dependent citizens. It is noteworthy that of all drinks the nation prefers vodka (51%). Beer consumption is 74.1 liters per year per capita. For comparison, in the Czech Republic this figure is twice as high.
So, the most drinking country in the world is Moldova. But are there countries where alcohol is prohibited?
It has long been known that “prohibition” is not a method of combating drunkenness. According to statistics, the volume of consumption is increasing, and income is ending up in the pockets of unscrupulous people. But there are states where alcohol is prohibited due to cultural characteristics.
The main ban on ethanol drinks for Muslims is not enshrined in law, but in the Koran. However, a number of countries hastened to write this measure down on paper. Among them:
The number of liters drunk by the population per year per person according to statistics is indicated in brackets. There is a ban on alcohol in some states in India. In this country, the attitude towards drunk people is negative. Liquor is completely prohibited in Gujarat. This is how India struggles with alcohol addiction, consumption per year is 5.7 liters per person.
Alcohol consumption in Kuwait is so low that the country is considered a teetotal country.
WHO classifies the following countries as non-drinking countries:
Everyone else drinks alcohol.
As can be seen from the statistics, the most drinking country in the world today is also struggling with the availability of wine on the market. Do not forget that any drinks containing ethanol are harmful to health. A drinking person cannot control himself, develop, or enjoy life.
Contrary to stereotypes, Russia is by no means the world leader in alcohol consumption. The level of alcohol consumption per capita is currently even falling. This is due both to the anti-alcohol measures taken by the state over the past few years, and to the growth in Russia of the number of people who are prohibited by faith. Our country is not even among the top ten, ranking only 16th in alcohol consumption per capita.
Russia is traditionally considered one of the most drinking countries in the world. Along with the balalaika and the bear, among the symbols of Russia, according to foreigners, is vodka, the Russian national drink.
The top 20 heaviest drinkers in the world, according to WHO, are currently as follows: Austria is in 20th place, where they annually drink 13.24 liters of ethanol per year per capita. Meanwhile, Slovakia took 19th position with 13.33 liters. Great Britain and Denmark share 18th place in this dubious competition. Poland is in 17th place (13.25 liters), Russia is in 16th place (13.50).
Alcohol, along with other psychoactive substances, has been used by humans since primitive times. At first it was part of shamanic rituals, then it began to be used for recreational purposes, as an appetite stimulant and antiseptic.
France, Ireland (as well as Russia, which has earned its reputation as a heavy-drinking country), Portugal and South Korea also did not make it into the top ten with 13.66, 14.41, 14.55 and 14.80 liters, respectively. The top ten most active consumers of strong drinks include Lithuania (15.03 liters per year), Croatia (15.11), Belarus (15.13), Slovenia (15.19), Romania (15.30), Andorra (15. 48), Estonia (15.57) and Ukraine (15.60). The top three were Hungary (16.27), the Czech Republic (16.45) and Moldova (18.22).
These, however, do not mean that the problem is less acute where they consume fewer liters per year per year, and more acute among the leaders in absolute consumption. For example, in the second-ranked Czech Republic, a large percentage of the population drinks, but relatively few abuse alcohol. The most favorite drink, as you know, is beer. In countries such as Russia, France and the UK, the number of liters per capita is lower, but strong drinks are very popular. In addition, in these states there is a fairly large percentage of the Muslim population who does not drink for religious reasons, while the amount of alcohol consumed is calculated based on the total population. Thus, not everyone drinks here, but those who do are prone to abuse.
Alcohol consumption in the world is becoming one of the primary problems in a sufficiently large number of countries. The destructive addiction is spreading on all continents. Mortality from alcoholism, according to statistics, reaches 2.5 million people per year worldwide.
The negative consequences of addiction affect not only the people who drink, but also those around them. And above all, families suffer. Alcohol is the cause of many illegal and unpleasant activities. Up to half of all crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol, families break up, and the younger generation suffers.
Most crimes, car accidents with serious consequences, cases of violence, serious harm to health, and so on are committed under the influence of alcohol. Women with alcohol addiction often give birth to defective offspring. The educational influence of drinking parents has an extremely negative impact on children, and the family’s financial support also suffers. Abandoned in such families, they often become homeless.
Alcoholism also has a negative impact on society. It can cause disruptions in the economy and even lead to economic and political crises.
Addiction to alcohol has a negative effect on literally all human organs, leading to serious damage and death of the body, becoming a cause of mental illness and loss of life. appearance, premature aging.
According to established tradition, there is no concept of “alcoholism” and no records are kept of such patients. Europeans call such people “having problems with alcohol” and, according to various estimates, they number about 10-20%. Therefore, it is not possible to provide statistical data on this problem.
Europeans drink the most in the world. The conclusion suggests itself that in countries with high alcohol consumption, the standard and life expectancy should decline. However, this is not confirmed by statistical data.
The transition from alcohol use to alcohol abuse is influenced by various factors, such as:
The consequences of drinking in Europe
The generally accepted opinion is that representatives of low-status social strata with low income and standard of living are susceptible to the harmful effects of alcoholism. This implies a behavioral reaction to a failed life and dissatisfaction with one’s own situation. Of course, this kind of deviation also occurs among quite successful people, top-level politicians, and show business stars. But there are few mass phenomena of this kind in high circles. The very standard of living, communication, and life tasks require a person to constantly be in good shape and in adequate condition.
The culture of drinking alcohol in Europe does not imply an end in itself, but only accompaniment of the process of communication with others, therefore this level does not imply excessive consumption. In addition, the process of drinking alcohol occurs in public places - bars, pubs, restaurants, which also requires behavior of a certain level.
The level of prices for alcohol, which is several times higher than in Russia, is also important. This applies not only to elite drinks, but also to ordinary vodka. This approach does not encourage excessive alcohol consumption.
Any type of alcohol contributes to the development of alcohol dependence, including beer, wine, and, especially, strong drinks, which are traditional in many territories. They affect alcoholism most aggressively in relatively short periods of time.
The comparison here is with wine-drinking Moldova. Having the highest level of alcohol consumption, it is characterized by the highest life expectancy.
Europe is characterized by a sensitive attitude towards people suffering from alcoholism. They try to involve them in public life, help them find a job, take a worthy place in society, and start a family. Alcoholics Anonymous societies are widespread, helping to provide psychological relief to addicted people, making it easier for them to fully return to society.
In general, it can be noted that Europeans are not concerned about the problem of alcoholism. They are more concerned about the problem of curing somatic diseases, which are also one of the consequences of a morbid addiction to alcohol.
The belief that Russians drink more than other countries is erroneous. Yes, they drink a lot, but there are many countries where it is more common. This opinion is formed for various reasons, including due to a number of specific features of the passion for alcohol in our country:
Regarding this phenomenon, it is impossible to speak with certainty about the correctness of the data. In many countries there is no official registration of persons suffering from this defect.
And where such registration is carried out, it cannot be said that it is fully objective, because not everyone is registered in the relevant medical institutions, a significant part is not taken into account in such statistics.
It has been established that in communities without restrictions on the free sale of alcohol, the number of people wishing to receive medical help due to alcoholism is about 2%. Moreover, this figure is stable within the statistical error.
The number of “those who have problems,” that is, those who drink regularly but have not yet contacted doctors, is about 10 - 15%, and this figure is also stable for most countries.
For Russia, the number of people registered will be about 2.8 million people, latent alcoholics, respectively, 15 - 20 million.
Accordingly, in the EU countries this will be 1 million and 50 - 70 million people.
In the ranking of alcoholic countries, European countries occupy the first places, however, their attitude towards alcoholic beverages is ambiguous. Using data from 2014, we can identify some specific features. Let's pay attention to the top five countries leading in the consumption of alcoholic beverages:
The top ten drinkers are the same.
Surely, many people around the world think that the most drinking country is Russia. One has only to look at the usual cartoons, which quite often depict Russian people hugging a bear and a bottle of vodka. However, according to published information from the World Health Organization, our country is not even among the top three in terms of the amount of alcohol consumed per capita. “Prize” places in this case were given to countries from which, perhaps, this should not have been expected. So who can deservedly be called the most drinking country in the world?
Since each country in the world has its own culture of drinking alcoholic beverages and preference for one or another type of strong drink, when compiling such a rating, WHO decided to calculate the consumption of alcohol by citizens of different countries in liters of pure ethyl alcohol. And for greater representativeness of the statistics, people whose age exceeded 15 years were taken into account.
WHO experts have absolute confidence that when the average consumption of ethyl alcohol exceeds 8 liters, the degradation of the nation begins. It is with this kind of consumption of “hot” drinks that there is a high probability that the next generation will also hit the hardest and will suffer from alcoholism due to heredity. And many countries in Europe and the USA are in such a risky situation today.
As a result of the information studied by WHO on the consumption of pure alcohol per capita, the most drinking country turned out to be Belarus, where citizens drink 17.5 liters of alcoholic beverages per year. Moreover, this is only the average indicator of this parameter. If we consider alcohol consumption by men and women, then Belarusian men drink approximately 27.5 liters of pure alcohol, while for women this figure is much lower - 9.1 liters.
Russia is in fourth place on this list, since our compatriots drink 15.1 liters of alcohol per year. Second in the ranking is Moldova, with 16.8 liters of alcoholic beverages per person. Third place is occupied by Lithuania, where there are 15.4 liters of pure alcohol per capita per year.
Europe looks like the most drinking country in the world – the list of some of the most drinking countries in the world has been supplemented by Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Slovakia. And the scary thing is that related to alcoholic products reasons, many people die all over the world. For example, according to WHO, in 2012, about 3,300,000 people died worldwide, which is a very impressive figure. And mortality, according to experts, is unlikely to decrease - rather, on the contrary, it will increase, and the reason for this is an increase in the number of people living around the world and an increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially in rapidly developing countries.
As a rule, the inhabitants of the planet intoxicate their brains most of all with strong drinks, which account for slightly more than half of alcohol consumption. Beer is consumed in an amount of 35 percent, and wine accounts for 8 percent. Likewise, Belarusians consume vodka the most – it accounts for 47 percent of annual consumption. Belarusians consume 17 percent of beer, and 5 percent of grape wine.
And 31 percent of the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Belarus consists of cheap wine drinks and fruit wines, which often cause high mortality and the risk of various diseases. For example, in 2013 in the Republic of Belarus there were 3,100 cases of alcohol-related psychosis and 1,600 deaths from alcohol consumption.
Having created such a disappointing rating, WHO nevertheless noted that the number of completely non-drinking people around the world is large - it amounts to 48 percent of the total population of the planet. These people had never taken a drop of alcohol into their mouths in their lives. Experts also noted that teetotalers are often women - men are more fond of alcoholic beverages.
And young people carry out rare but abundant libations of “strong” drinks into their bodies. Representatives of all generations, as a rule, indulge in such episodes of alcohol consumption in the amount of 7.5 percent, but the share of young people aged 15 to 19 years in this case is increasing and currently amounts to 12 percent.
There is a strong and established opinion that Russians are one of the heaviest drinking nations. But there is one stubborn and undeniable thing - these are numbers and statistical indicators. Before arguing and bringing an idea to the masses, you need to arm yourself with statistics. “Dry” data does not carry an emotional connotation; it only suggests arming yourself with the truth and comparing the current state of affairs.
Judging by the latest data obtained by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, alcohol consumption per capita in Russia is trending towards a steady decline. During the analysis, experts compared the results adopted in 2010 and 2015. How were things in 2016? Do we have any reason to rejoice?
According to statistics, the amount of alcohol consumption in Russia is decreasing
According to accepted UN standards, per capita consumption of 8 liters of ethyl alcohol is an extremely alarming indicator. And not only for each person, but also for the entire certain nation. By the way, quite a large number of countries fall into the classification where this level is exceeded. In particular, according to the indicators for 2015, the ranking of the highest drinkers was as follows:
| Place in the ranking | Country | Volume of alcohol consumed per capita (in l) |
| 1 | Czech Republic | 16,45 |
| 2 | Hungary | 16,27 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 15,60 |
| 4 | Estonia | 15,57 |
| 5 | Andorra | 15,48 |
| 6 | Romania | 15,30 |
| 7 | Slovenia | 15,19 |
| 8 | Belarus | 15,13 |
| 9 | Croatia | 15,11 |
| 10 | Lithuania | 15,03 |
| 11 | Republic of Korea | 14,80 |
| 12 | Portugal | 14,55 |
| 13 | Ireland | 14,41 |
| 14 | Russia | 13,50 |
| 15 | Poland | 13,25 |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 13,37 |
| 17 | Denmark | 13,37 |
| 18 | Slovakia | 13,33 |
| 19 | Austria | 13,24 |
| 20 | Luxembourg | 13,01 |
| 21 | Germany | 12,81 |
| 22 | Finland | 12,52 |
| 23 | Latvia | 12,50 |
| 24 | Bulgaria | 12,44 |
The use of alcoholic beverages per capita in the Russian Federation fell from 13.6 liters (according to 2015 data) to 11.6 liters (according to statistical indicators as of December 2016).
So, given what the statistics of alcoholism in Russia show, Russians cannot be frivolously classified among the “heaviest drinkers”? If you study the obtained figures, it becomes clear that some of the countries with a developed culture overindulge in alcoholic beverages. And if they do not reach the “record” of our country, then the difference is practically unnoticeable.
Comparative characteristics of alcohol consumption in Russia and the USSR
Considering the results of previous statistical data, the WHO forecast for our country is quite favorable. In Russia there is a tendency towards a decrease in this unpleasant figure. So, is there a reason to rejoice? There is, but, unfortunately, very small.
No matter how you juggle the obtained figures or compare them to one degree or another, Russians drink alcohol quite heavily. According to available indicators, on average, due to the abuse of alcohol-containing products in the Russian Federation, mortality ranges from 75-85,000 for every 100,500 people. That is, we can say, counting how many alcoholics there are in Russia, that every year each of the 1,400 Russian citizens dies from alcohol abuse.
This figure is not small, considering the size of our country and the number of people living in it. It is important to know that people dependent on alcohol and suffering from alcoholism have no chance of living well into old age, because according to the same statistics, among them:
By studying the data provided by statistics on alcohol consumption in Russia and comparing them with indicators in other countries, we can conclude that the problem of drunkenness is relevant for almost all world, developed countries. What global causes are to blame for this state of affairs?
Experts say that urbanization is becoming one of the main culprits in the rapid development of alcoholism. It gave rise to a sharp increase in the population of cities, due to the outflow of residents from villages and villages. Historical facts show that having exchanged a quiet and measured rural life for the dynamics of large cities, most people cannot cope with growing stress and go into drunken tranquility.
Urbanization is one of the reasons for the increase in alcoholism
Additionally and quite strongly, the growth of alcoholism in Russia was intensified by economic crises, disasters, and the growing threat of using weapons of mass destruction. By the way, in the realities of the Cold War, against the backdrop of an impending nuclear disaster, a significant increase in the growth of alcoholism was noted. Other social problems also contributed. In particular, rising unemployment.
In the Russian Federation, the unemployment rate is 5.6%, while in the European Union these figures are about 12%, which stimulates an increase in alcohol consumption. Here you can look at US indicators taken in 2013. The country's authorities were able to reduce the unemployment rate from 9.5 to 5.4%. This also caused a pronounced tendency towards a decrease in the total amount of alcohol consumption.
Social problems
As for Russia, the increase in the number of drinkers can be explained by the fact that over the previous 25-30 years our country has experienced a huge number of shocks in:
The merciless collapse of the huge, super-powerful state that was the USSR provoked the global destruction of all the values and internal worldview of our citizens that had been established over the years. The growth of alcoholism intensified due to the fact that a different worldview and values (at that time) were never established. The population, which has lost protection at the social level, has seen a sharp increase in poverty levels.
According to statistical results, about 10% of Russian citizens face constant difficulties with good and nutritious nutrition.
And the decrease in price increases for alcohol-containing products, which was observed during the collapse of the Union, also stimulated a sharp increase in alcoholism. People, having lost their jobs and seeing no way out of their current situation, turned to alcohol for solace.
According to established UN standards, it is believed that alcohol consumption of more than 8 liters per capita annually is an extremely serious indicator. When this line is crossed, the gradual degradation of an individual nation will begin. Alcoholism leads to decreased life expectancy.
In Russia, life expectancy is trending upward
If we compare the average life expectancy, in Russia it is 10-15 years less compared to the countries of the European Union.
Consumption of alcohol-containing products among residents of our country tends to decline. This is evidenced by the statistics of alcohol consumption in Russia by year; in particular, armed with data from Rosstat and WHO, we can see confirmation of this. Compare how the volume of alcoholic beverages sold to Russians changed. The figures are taken for the period of the first half of the year (January-August):
To complete the picture, you can also arm yourself with statistics obtained by various public funds and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. So:
Foundation "Public Opinion". Statistics were carried out at the end of 2015:
Analytical center "Levada Center". The survey was conducted in 2017:
Ministry of Health of Russia. Based on the data obtained, the following trend is observed:
Narcological Scientific and Practical Center (Moscow). Consumption of alcohol-containing products in the period from 2011 to 2016. decreased by almost 1/3. That is, from the original 18 liters per capita it fell to 12.8 liters per year.
During the period 2012-2015. Vodka production in our country has decreased by almost 2 times. In particular:
In the period from 2003-2013. The number of deaths due to poisoning from alcohol-containing drinks in Russia has decreased by almost 3 times. In 2003 this number was 30 deaths per 100,000, but in 2013 this figure varied by 10 cases.
The production of vodka, due to the fall in its demand, tends to a steady decline. For example, in 2012, about 100 million deciliters of strong alcohol were produced. Whereas in 2015 this volume decreased to 60 million deciliters. If we consider beer production, then the picture is quite rosy: its production is also falling: from 11.5 billion liters (2007) to 7.3 billion liters (2015).
