Alcohol Stats Around the Globe - A bottle of beer is said to be wiser then a philosophy book

Beer Up to Your Eyeballs

With worldwide demand for beer continuing to climb, an astonishing 50.9 billion gallons of beer were produced globally in 2011. China is the top player in the market, producing about a quarter of the world's beer supply, with the United States coming in second at 11.7%, followed by Brazil and Russia

Booziest Nation

The heaviest drinkers in the world live in the landlocked post-Soviet republic of Moldova, which is located between Romania and Ukraine. A total of about 18.22 liters of pure alcohol are consumed annually per capita, about three timesthe worldwide average. Moldova is a big wine producer, but a large proportion of the alcohol consumed in this poor nation is home-brewed wine and spirits.

Nations that drink the most alcohol:

1. Moldova
2. Czech Republic
3. Hungary
4. Russia
5. Ukraine
6. Estonia
7. Andorra
8. Romania
9. Slovenia
10. Belarus

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Driest Nation

Afghanistan ties with Yemen as the country that drinks the least alcohol, with a total of just 0.02 liters of pure alcohol per person. Low alcohol consumption levels tend to occur in countries with large Islamic populations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia due to the religion's restrictions.

Nations that drink the least alcohol:

1. Afghanistan
2. Yemen
3. Pakistan
4. Somalia
5. Mauritania
6. Libya
7. Kuwait
8. Bangladesh
9. Saudi Arabia
10. Niger

United States' Consumption

The United States has a relatively low level of total alcohol consumption in comparison with the world's other developed countries, ranking 57th overall. Americans drink a total of about 8.44 liters of pure alcohol per year. Beer is the most favored type of alcohol, and makes up about half the quantity consumed. For regular drinkers, males tend to drink twice as much as females.

• About 35% of the US population prefers to abstain from drinking alcohol.
• Despite that, the United States has the second highest rate of alcoholic liver disease, after Mexico.

United States alcohol consumption in liters of pure alcohol per capita :

• Total: 9.44 liters (57th in the world)
• Beer: 4.47 liters (24th in the world)
• Wine: 1.36 liters (50th in the world)
• Spirits: 2.65 liters (41st in the world)

South Korean Spirit

South Koreans are the world's biggest drinkers of spirits. A staggering 9 million bottles of soju, a distilled spirit that is traditionally made from rice and is about 20% alcohol, is consumed in the country per day.

Jinro, a South Korean brand of soju, is the world's top selling spirit, ahead of other spirits, such as vodka, whiskey, brandy, and rum. South Koreans drink a total of 9.57 liters of spirits per capita.

Top spirits drinking nations:

1. South Korea
2. Estonia
3. Saint Lucia
4. Grenada
5. Bosnia and Herzegovina
6. Russia
7. Dominica
8. Latvia
9. Saint Kitts and Nevis
10. Guyana

 

The tiny European nation of Luxembourg, nestled between France, Germany, and Belgium, tops the list of biggest wine drinkers, although it's likely that a high proportion of the beverage is actually consumed by tourists visiting the country. Luxembourg consumes 8.16 liters of wine per capita. Winos in Luxembourg

Top wine drinking nations:

1. Luxembourg
2. France 
3. Portugal
4. Italy
5. Croatia
6. Andorra
7. Switzerland
8. Slovenia
9. Hungary
10. Moldova

Beer Drinkers in Palau

The tiny western Pacific island nation of Palau, known to some as one of the locations used for the reality TV show 'Survivor,' has a population of less than 21,000 people, yet it's the biggest beer drinking country in the world, with 8.68 liters drunk per capita, although its total alcohol consumption is comparatively low.

Top beer drinking nations:

1. Palau
2. Czech Republic
3. Seychelles
4. Ireland
5. Azerbaijan
6. Austria
7. Uganda
8. Germany
9. Lithuania
10. Estonia