In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 countries with the highest alcohol consumption in Europe. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the global alcohol industry, the effect of taxes on alcohol abuse, and the rising popularity of non-alcoholic beer in Europe, head to 15 Countries with the Highest Alcohol Consumption in Europe.
5. Germany
Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 12.22 liters
German history and culture is synonymous with beer, even though beer wasn’t technically invented in the country. In fact, beer has always been such an important part of the local culture that in 1516, the Bavaria Duke Wilhelm IV issued the ‘Reinheitsgebot’, a beer purity law that stipulates that only water, barley, and hops were allowed to be used as key ingredients for beer. The country exported $1.38 billion of the alcoholic beverage in 2021, putting it among the Top Beer Exporting Countries in the World.
According to a 2017 study, 12% of the individuals in Germany were daily drinkers, 76.5% were occasional drinkers, and 11.5% of the individuals never drank alcohol.
4. Latvia
Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 13.09 liters
Latvia has one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption by any country in 2023. Over the last decade or so, alcohol consumption in the country has gradually increased from 9.8 liters per capita in 2010 and reached its peak in 2018 with 13.2 liters. Since grains grow better than grapes in the cold climate of the Baltic country, vodka is a popular drink in Latvia.
3. Czech Republic
Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 13.29 liters
The Czech most popular drink is of course beer. Czech people are proud of their beer because after all, their country gave birth to the iconic Pilsner popular all around the globe.
Czech households spent a record high sum on alcohol in 2019 – around $4 billion – according to the European statistical office, Eurostat.
2. Georgia
Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 14.33 liters
The wine-drinking culture sets Georgia apart from other post-Soviet countries, where people prefer to drink spirits. Wine is associated with cultural and religious traditions in the Caucasian country, while beer is secondary and holds no ritualistic connotations. In fact, Georgians only toast with wine or vodka, and beer is used to toast only if you wish someone bad luck.
Wine is one of the top export commodities for Georgia, accounting for 21% of the country’s total agricultural export value in 2021.
1. Romania
Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 16.99 liters
Men in Romania are the heaviest drinkers in the world, with a per capita consumption of 27.3 liters of pure alcohol in 2019, or an average of 8.2 drinks per day. The most consumed alcoholic beverage in the Eastern European nation is beer, preferred by one third of the consumers. However, the market for spirited drinks has exploded and reached around $800 million in the country.
Romania is not only the Country that Drinks the Most Alcohol in Europe but also the Largest Alcohol Drinking Country in the World.
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