Over 2 billion people around the world drink alcohol, with Europe having the highest consumption rates, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report. In contrast, countries in North Africa and the Middle East show the lowest rates due to cultural and religious reasons. Alarmingly, 2.6 million people die from alcohol-related causes each year, mostly in Africa and Europe. With 400 million people living with alcohol use disorders, the global impact of alcohol consumption is a major health concern.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 2 billion people drink alcohol currently.

This map, courtesy of Bruno Venditti of Visual Capitalist, illustrates the proportion of adults over 15 who drank alcohol in the preceding year by region. The 2024 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders included the 2019 data.

The map is split into six zones based on the classifications provided by the World Health Organization.

European Nations Lead in Alcohol Consumption Rates

Europe has the highest rate of alcohol consumption. Members of the European Union made up seven of the ten nations with the greatest alcohol consumption in 2019.

Because of cultural and religious reasons, the lowest rates of alcohol consumption are seen in North Africa and the Middle East. These nations are primarily located on the map in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, where only 4% of people regularly or somewhat regularly drink alcohol.

Health Risks Associated with Drinking Alcohol

Two million of the 2.6 million individuals who die each year from alcohol-related causes are men, according to the WHO.

The countries in Africa and Europe have the greatest rates of alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Worldwide, an estimated 400 million individuals, or 7% of the population over the age of 15, suffer from alcohol use disorders, and an estimated 209 million adults, or 3.7% of the world’s adult population, suffer from alcohol dependence.

Previously, GreatGameInternational reported that, according to data from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, regular cannabis users now exceed drinkers for the first time, due to legalization trends and rising marijuana consumption across the country.

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