“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. But in France the average person consumed more than 12 litres of pure alcohol a year, while in Russia the average was around 11.7 litres.
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.
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.
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.
Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
Australia's annual alcohol consumption is relatively high compared to other developed countries. The most recent data by country for 18 selected developed countries, indicated that annual alcohol consumption was in the range of 6 to 12 litres per capita.
Australian drinking culture
Drinking is arguably a big part of Australian culture.
Brits get drunk the most in the world, Australia close behind | news.com.au — Australia's leading news site.
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. However, the UK leads the way with alcohol abuse problems.
Men are far more likely to drink heavily than women, with 42% of men reporting heavy drinking levels compared to 25% of women.
Australia is the second-driest continent in the world, with mean annual rainfall less than 600mm for more than 80 per cent of Australia. Australia is so dry because we sit under the subtropical high-pressure belt, which encourages the air to push down, preventing the lift required for rain.
Australian Capital Territory – permanent alcohol-free places (legislation) New South Wales – Sydney alcohol restrictions (for other areas, find the council it's in and go to their website) Northern Territory – where you can't drink in the NT and about dry areas.
Australia: An ABC News article published in 2018 described lemon, lime, and bitters (LLB) as "Australia's national drink". Lemon, lime, and bitters is a mixed drink made with (clear) lemonade, lime cordial, and Angostura bitters. The lemonade is sometimes substituted with soda water or lemon squash.
It's official – Australians love their vino. According to new research, the most consumed drink in the country is wine, and the vast majority of those drinking it are female.
Sweden has the lowest rate of alcohol abuse and drunk driving in Europe, but it was not always so. Alcohol abuse was common in the 19th Century, and by tradition drinking in Scandinavian countries meant drinking to intoxication. High taxation of alcohol. Every liter of vodka is taxed to the tune of about $25.
Another strong alcohol, Golden Grain is a 100% neutral spirit distilled from grain. Similar to Everclear, it's colourless and odourless. It is majorly used for creating homemade liqueurs and extracts.
Afghanistan. According to the World Health Organization, pure alcohol consumption in Afghanistan is almost non-existent, with a record of 0.013 liters in 2019. Men consumed at least 0.022 liters, while women almost had an insignificant consumption of 0.003 liters.
The percentage of Australians who drink alcohol on a daily basis decreased significantly from 6% in 2016 to 5.4% in 2019. In South Australia in 2019, 5.8% reported drinking alcohol daily; men were 3.5 times more likely to drink daily than South Australian women.
“Alcohol consumption has been decreasing here since about 2007, and we've seen a 10 per cent reduction in per capita consumption across the whole population,” says Dr Michael Livingston, associate professor at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University.