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....