Arielle Cruz
Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern, with heavy drinking leading to adverse health effects and an increased risk of accidents. European countries generally have the highest per capita consumption globally, with the WHO European Region recording 9.2 litres per person aged 15 and older in 2019. In 2020, annual alcohol consumption in 36 European countries ranged from 1.2 litres in Turkey to 12.1 litres in Latvia. Germany, France, Spain, and Italy also had high consumption rates among the EU's Big Four. While Europe-wide data shows a gradual decrease in alcohol consumption, certain countries like Latvia have experienced notable increases.
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What You'll Learn
Latvia: highest alcohol consumption in 2021
Alcohol consumption is a major public health problem in Europe, along with tobacco use and obesity. Heavy drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning, car accidents, cirrhosis, and even breast cancer. It has also been linked to increased violence, homicides, and suicides.
In 2021, Latvia consumed 12.2 liters of alcohol per capita, the highest among European countries. Lithuania came in second with 12.1 liters, while Turkey had the lowest alcohol consumption at 1.4 liters. Latvians spent €951 million on alcohol in 2021, equivalent to 2.8% of GDP. This represents 5.0% of total consumption expenditure, making it the country where households spend the most on alcohol in the EU. Latvia's consumption figures are slightly more modest at 10.5% of GDP or 18.5% of total consumption expenditure.
Latvia has one of the highest alcohol per capita consumption rates in Europe. Spirits are the most popular alcoholic beverage in Latvia, contributing to 40% of total consumption. Alcohol control policies in Latvia have evolved significantly over the last three decades, with the most changes occurring between regaining independence in 1991 and joining the European Union in 2004. Several significant alcohol control policies have been implemented to reduce alcohol availability and affordability, restrict alcohol marketing, and counter drunk driving.
Despite these efforts, alcohol consumption in Latvia remains high. The State Program for the Reduction of Alcohol Consumption and Alcoholism was enacted in 2015 to address these issues further. The program aims to reduce the availability of alcohol, the demand for alcoholic beverages, and risky and harmful alcohol consumption. It includes goals such as ensuring the quality and safety of alcoholic beverage sales, restricting alcohol advertising, tackling illicit alcohol trafficking, educating on alcohol-related harm, and providing leisure opportunities for young people.
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Lithuania: second-highest consumption in 2021
Lithuania, a Baltic country in the European Union, has long been characterised by high alcohol consumption. In 2021, it had the second-highest alcohol consumption per capita in Europe, at 12.1 litres. This is a slight decrease from its peak consumption in 2011 of 14.7 litres per capita.
Lithuania has a 500-year-old tradition of producing a Lithuanian type of moonshine, an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 50-75%. Unfortunately, most of the country's moonshine is now produced illegally, and its consumption can lead to fatal consequences. In August 2021, 19 people died in Kaunas after consuming illegal homemade moonshine, in Lithuania's worst-ever alcohol consumption disaster.
The high levels of alcohol consumption in Lithuania have had severe negative consequences, including chronic health issues, drink-driving, domestic violence, suicides, and crime. The country has long topped charts for the highest rates of suicide, and in 2021, a third of crimes were committed by drunk persons. Alcohol consumption has also resulted in a high mortality rate, with 678 people dying from alcohol-related diseases in 2021, an increase of 80 deaths from 2020. The most common alcohol-related diseases were alcoholic liver disease, accidental alcohol poisoning, and alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
In recent years, the Lithuanian government has attempted to curb alcohol consumption through policy measures and increasing alcohol prices. Since 2007, a number of alcohol control measures have been adopted, leading to a slight decline in alcohol-related diseases. In 2022, the government introduced a higher excise duty on alcoholic beverages, resulting in an average alcohol price increase of 11.4% compared to 2021. While it is debatable if these interventions have achieved their objective of decreasing alcohol consumption, they have changed some drinking habits.
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Belarus: highest-consuming country in 2015
Belarus was ranked as the European country with the highest alcohol consumption per capita in 2015. While the exact volume of alcohol consumed in Belarus that year is unclear, the country's drinking culture has likely had notable health impacts, as seen in other high-consuming European nations.
Alcohol consumption is typically measured in equivalent litres of pure alcohol (ethanol) consumed per capita per year. A standard drink contains about 17 milliliters of ethanol, so one litre equates to approximately 59 standard drinks. This measurement is used by the World Health Organization (WHO), which periodically publishes The Global Status Report on Alcohol.
The WHO has identified alcohol consumption as a significant public health issue, alongside tobacco use and obesity. Excessive alcohol intake can lead to various health complications, including an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, liver diseases, and several types of cancer. Heavy drinking can also result in alcohol poisoning and accidents, and has been linked to increased violence, homicides, and suicides.
While Belarus topped the list in 2015, other European countries have consistently ranked among the highest consumers of alcohol. These include Germany, Luxembourg, Estonia, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Lithuania, and Andorra.
Since 2015, there has been a gradual decrease in alcohol consumption in the European Union (EU) and the WHO's European Region, which covers 53 countries, including Russia and surrounding nations. In the EU, overall alcohol consumption per person aged 15 and over dropped by 2.9 litres between 1980 and 2020, falling from 12.7 litres to 9.8 litres. Similarly, the WHO's European Region saw a decline from 12 litres in 2000 to 9.5 litres in 2020. Despite this downward trend, the WHO's European Region still had the highest level of alcohol consumption per person worldwide in 2020, with an average intake of 9.5 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 and above.
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Gender differences: men drink more than women
While alcohol consumption is prevalent across Europe, with more than two-thirds of adults drinking in most countries, there are notable gender differences. In all countries, men consume more alcohol than women. Men are almost twice as likely as women to binge drink, but this trend is not consistent across age groups. Younger women, specifically those born between 1991 and 2000, are now drinking as much as their male counterparts, and their drinking rates could surpass those of men in the future.
Several factors contribute to the gender disparity in alcohol consumption. Historically, men have been the predominant alcohol drinkers in Western society, with popular culture often depicting male characters consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. However, the marketing of alcohol to women and evolving gender roles have contributed to a shift in drinking patterns. Despite these changes, men still outpace women in overall alcohol consumption.
Biological differences between men and women also play a role in the gender disparity. Women's bodies respond differently to alcohol due to variations in body fat composition, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) levels, and water content. Women produce smaller quantities of ADH, an enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the liver. As a result, they may experience faster damage to their livers, hearts, and nerves when drinking excessively. Additionally, brain scans of alcoholics have revealed differences in the "reward centres" of the brain between alcoholic men and women, indicating potential variations in the brain's susceptibility to alcohol-related damage.
The social and cultural aspects of alcohol consumption also contribute to the gender differences. In the past, women faced societal barriers that limited their participation in office drinking cultures or after-work pub gatherings. These gender norms influenced the prevalence of women's drinking habits. However, as gender roles continue to evolve, the social dynamics surrounding alcohol consumption may also be undergoing changes, potentially impacting drinking patterns among both men and women.
While men currently consume more alcohol than women in Europe, the gap may be narrowing among younger generations. The interplay of biological, social, and cultural factors influences drinking patterns, and addressing alcohol consumption as a public health issue requires a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics.
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WHO European Region: highest consumption globally
The WHO European Region, which covers 53 countries, including Russia and its surrounding countries, has the highest consumption of alcohol per capita globally. In 2000, the average consumption in the region was 12 litres per person aged 15 and above, which decreased to 9.5 litres in 2020. This is still higher than the worldwide consumption in 2019, which was 5.5 litres per person aged 15 and above.
Alcohol consumption in the EU has declined by 0.5 litres between 2010 and 2020. However, several countries have increased their consumption, including Latvia, which had the highest percentage change increase. In 2021, Latvia had the highest alcohol consumption per capita in Europe at 12.2 litres, followed by Lithuania at 12.1 litres.
In 2015, Belarus was ranked as the European country with the highest alcohol consumption. Other countries that were among the top 10 in the same year were Andorra, Lithuania, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Austria, France, Estonia, Luxembourg, and Germany.
The World Health Organization has called alcohol consumption a major public health problem, as it can lead to various issues such as alcohol poisoning, car accidents, cirrhosis, and increased violence, homicides, and suicides.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2021, Latvia consumed 12.2 litres of alcohol per capita, the highest among European countries. Lithuania was a close second at 12.1 litres.
The WHO European Region, which covers 53 countries, has the highest level of alcohol consumption per person in the world. In 2020, the average consumption in the region was 9.5 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 and above.
While alcohol consumption in the EU and the WHO European Region has decreased overall, 11 countries saw an increase between 2010 and 2020. Latvia had the highest percentage change increase at 23.5%.
