People in South Korea are the most prolific drinkers in Asia, according to the WHO. South Koreans over the age of 15 on average drink 10.9 litres of alcohol a year.
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.
The good news is that because of aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, alcoholism and alcohol-related cancers are much less prevalent in East Asian populations. This is because people feel so bad after drinking alcohol, they tend to drink very little, if at all.
According to Euromonitor Japanese adults on average drink 4.4 shots of hard liquor per week, the fifth highest in the world behind top two South Korea and Russia. This is mostly shochu followed by whisky.
The drinking prevalence of Japanese men was the highest among the four countries. For women, it was also higher than in U.S. but lower than in U.K. Abstinence rates in U.S. were extremely higher than those of Japanese (19, 20% vs. 1, 4% in men and women, U.S. vs.
China has an alcoholic culture with a millennia-long history, being one of the first countries in the world to start making alcoholic drinks, and that is why alcohol culture forms an important part of Chinese civilisation.
Modern Korean drinking culture. As society developed, the drinking culture started to change.Recent studies have shown that Koreans drink the largest amount of alcohol in the world. In the past, people drank on specific days like New Year's, but presently alcohol can be consumed regardless of the occasion.
Alcoholism Stats
More than 6 percent of adults in the U.S. have an alcohol use disorder, about 1 in 12 men and 1 in 25 women. An additional 623,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 have alcohol use disorders. About 88,000 people die of alcohol-related causes every year in the United States.
There is perhaps no religion that loves alcohol as much as the Japanese Shinto religion, which reveres sake as the most sacred of drinks—the “liquor of the gods.” The god of sake is also the god of rice and the harvest, so drinking sake is associated with a bountiful and blessed harvest.
Traditionally, Asians have been thought to age more gracefully than Caucasians. The resistance to aging in the Asian patient was credited to the thicker dermis of Asian skin that contains greater collagen and the darker pigment that protects against photoaging.
Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Mauritania, Libya, the Maldives, Iran, Kuwait, Brunei, and Bangladesh also have alcohol bans, as do some states in India (India is a Hindu-majority country but has a sizeable Muslim population).
Globally, nearly 300 million adults (mainly males) suffer from AUD, and 2.6% of people aged 15 and over suffer from alcohol dependence (AD, the most severe form of AUD) (1). The current prevalence estimate of AD in China is about 2.2% (6).
Unsurprisingly, the most densely populated states in the U.S. consume the most alcohol by volume. California leads the pack with 85.7 million gallons consumed in 2020. Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois round out the remainder of the top five. Conversely, Wyoming, Alaska, and South Dakota consume the least.
The top 10 countries that consume the least alcohol across the WHO European Region are Tajikistan (0.9 litres), Azerbaijan (1.0), Turkey (1.8), Uzbekistan (2.6), Turkmenistan (3.1), Israel (4.4), Armenia (4.7), Kazakhstan (5.0), Albania (6.8), and North Macedonia (6.4).
Q: What country has the most drunk driving accidents? South Africa has the highest rate of drunk driving fatalities globally, with 25.1 deaths per 100,000 total population. In the US, Wyoming is the state with the highest drunk driving crashes, with 7.60 fatalities per 100,000 people.
25.8 percent of people over the age of 18 have engaged in binge drinking, and 14.5 million Americans currently suffer from a diagnosable alcohol use disorder.
In 2018, two-thirds of adults aged 18 and over consumed alcohol in the past year. In 2018, 5.1% of adults engaged in heavy drinking in the past year, 15.5% engaged in moderate drinking, 45.7% engaged in light drinking, and 33.7% did not consume alcohol (Figure 1).
Frequently Asked Questions
While America is among first-world countries with lower rates of alcohol use, it has a higher rate of alcohol abuse. About 15 million Americans are currently struggling with alcoholism; on average, 95,000 people die yearly in the United States from alcohol-related causes.
In Korea, however, it is customary to always pour and receive drinks with both hands or at least have both hands touching the glass as a sign of respect, especially if the person pouring your drink is an elder. Out of respect for an elder, Koreans usually turn their face away and cover their mouth while drinking.
Since ancient times, Koreans have only used natural, harsh-free ingredients for their skincare routines: green tea, “snail slime”, bamboo extracts, propolis, and honey are just some examples of the elements they used and have passed through generations.
The legal drinking age in Korea is 19 years of age. Although it is legal to drink alcohol in public, disorderly conduct under the influence of alcohol can result in hefty fines and a visit to the police station.
Bourbon (whiskey) named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, is a corn whiskey aged in charred oak barrels. It was proclaimed the U.S. National Spirit by an act of Congress in 1964.
While China's legal drinking-age limit of 18 is similar to other countries worldwide, there are still concerns about underage drinking and the potential negative effects that it can have on young people.
The Essentials of Sake, Japan's National Drink. Although beer has become the popular go-to alcohol of Japan's izakayas and bars, sake remains the treasured national drink for gifting, sealing business and family deals, and reconnecting with the country's history and roots.