Alcohol consumption is higher, according to WHO studies, than in most European countries and several Central Asian and African countries, although consumption is just as high in Australia as in North America.
The figures released by the World Health Organisation show Australians drink more pure alcohol per year than Americans, Canadians and the Japanese. “Australians drink 10.6 litres of pure alcohol each year, much higher than the global average of 6.4 litres,” according to the authors of the report.
Australians have been named the heaviest drinkers in the world in a survey after spending more time drunk in 2020 than any other nation. The international survey found Australians drank to the point of drunkenness an average of 27 times a year, almost double the global average of 15.
Approximately 84 per cent of Australians drink alcohol at least once in a 12-month period, compared to 83.9 per cent in the UK and 68.9 per cent in the US.
Looking at the amount of alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older, the Seychelles is in first place with around 20.5 litres of alcohol drunk per person per year, according to Our World in Data; studies show that young male peer groups primarily drink high amounts of alcohol in the Seychelles.
Each month 20.4% of Australians consume alcohol at high risk levels. Australians living in remote areas are more likely to drink at high risk levels compared to those living in urban areas. The driving forces behind Australia's drinking culture are derived from social customs, habits, publicised images and normality.
Frequency of Australians' alcohol consumption
5% of Australians drink alcohol every day; 7% drink 5-6 days per week; 11% drink 3-4 days per week; 17% drink 1-2 days per week; 13% drink 2-3 days per month; 23% drink 1 day per month or less; and 23% of Australians abstain from alcohol.
Drinking is arguably a big part of Australian culture. In Australia, it's strongly connected to social situations; you'll struggle to find a party or gathering that doesn't have alcohol in one form or another. It's common to go out for drinks to relax after work, or to celebrate over a toast with friends and family.
Australians boast about their selection and variety of alcohol. The most famous drink in Australia is vino. The most consumed drink in this country is red wine.
The consumption of alcohol is widespread within Australia and entwined with many social and cultural activities. However, harmful levels of consumption are a major health issue, associated with increased risk of chronic disease, injury and premature death.
Australia's national alcohol guidelines use the 'standard drink' as a measure of alcohol consumed. One standard drink is defined as containing 10 grams of alcohol. The number of standard drinks in a serving of alcohol varies between type, size, brand, packaged or poured drinks.
Australia has legitimately been named the world's drunkest country by an international authority.
Last year, a report by Deutsche Bank found Aussies are paying among the highest prices on the planet. Australia is the third most expensive country to buy a pint of beer — 37 per cent higher than in the US — behind France and Singapore.
One in four people (25.8% or 5 million people) aged 18 years and over exceeded the guideline in 2020-21. This includes those who either consumed more than 10 drinks in the last week and/or consumed 5 or more drinks on any day at least monthly in the last 12 months (12 occasions per year).
White teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 drink alcohol more often than other ethnic groups; the 2013 NSDUH reports that 12.9% drank alcohol. Almost one-quarter of the white population reports past-month binge drinking, and about 7% admit to heavy drinking in the past 30 days.
In 2019, the average age at which Australians aged 14 years and older consumed their first serve of alcohol was 17 years. However, the average age at which 14-24 year olds consumed their first serve of alcohol was 16 years.
In fact, 64 percent of the world's nations have legal drinking ages of 18. The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time.
People aged 70 and over continued to be the most likely to drink daily (12.6%), followed by people in their 60s (9.6%) and 50s (7.3%).
Gnowangerup has been crowned the booziest town in Australia, with one-third of its adult residents necking two or more alcoholic drinks every day.
If 12 ounces is a standard beer in America, Australia's 285-milliliter brew measures slightly less than 10 ounces. One standard glass of wine is also smaller in Australia, measuring 100 milliliters or 3.4 ounces — but the average ABV is considered to be 13 percent to our 12.
Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says:
“Over 15.2 million Australians drink hot drinks including tea, coffee or hot chocolate in an average week and coffee which is now drunk by 11.5 million Australians pips tea on 9.8 million as the most widely consumed hot drink.
One common stereotype of Indigenous Australians is that they all drink alcohol to excess. But the reality is that a smaller percentage of Aborigines drink alcohol than do other Australians.
The World Health Organization ranks Australia 19th on the global alcohol consumption ladder, ahead of Ireland at 21, the UK at 25, New Zealand at 31, Canada at 40 and the United States at 48.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are less likely to drink alcohol than other Australians. But those that do drink are more likely than other Australians to: drink at dangerous levels – both over a lifetime and on a single occasion.