According to a long-established stereotype, it is commonly believed that the Russians, the Irish and the British are the most drinking nations in the world. But annual surveys paint a completely different picture. The listed peoples are not even among the top five countries whose population drinks the most. The world's most drinking countries in 2015 - who is ahead of the planet in terms of drinking alcohol? More on this in our article.

I must say that there are many points of view regarding alcoholic beverages. Some doctors are categorical in their opinion that alcohol is evil. Others pay attention to the fact that when using it, it is important to observe the measure, and then wine, for example, can even act as a healing agent. Be that as it may, the number of those who abuse alcohol in many states exceeds all permissible norms, which cannot but worry.

Slovenia and Denmark

The tenth place among the most drinking countries in the world in 2015 is shared by Slovenia And Denmark. Here the population consumes 10.6 liters of alcoholic beverages per year. Among the inhabitants of these countries, beer is highly valued, and wine is in second place. In the Slovenian city of Maribor, there are the oldest vineyards in Europe, which are more than 400 years old - Stara Trta. Well, Denmark is known throughout the world for the beer brands Tuborg and Carlsberg.

In the ninth place of the most drinking countries is located, which is famous for its vineyards. 10.8 liters - this is how much alcohol is consumed here per year by an average resident aged 15 years and older.

Spain and Portugal

Next come and Portugal with an indicator of 11.4 liters of alcoholic beverages per year. The hot sun allows these countries to grow excellent vineyards. Therefore, the consumption of wine is in the first place in these two most drinking states. In second place in popularity is beer, which is much cheaper than wine.

Spain ranks third in the world in wine production, but in terms of total vineyard area, it ranks first. About 90 varieties of grapes are grown here.

The average Irish drink 11.6 liters of alcohol per year. Thus, Ireland did not make it into the top five drinking countries in the world. Guinness, the most famous dark beer in the world, is produced here. In addition, Ireland is famous for several varieties of whiskey. But alcohol is quite expensive here - a pint of beer can cost up to two euros, and the price of a bottle of whiskey reaches up to 25 euros.

In sixth place among the most drinking countries is. Yes, we still got into this not the most pleasant list. Russians consume on average about 15 liters of alcohol per person per year. The most popular strong drinks among the inhabitants of Russia are vodka and beer. Researchers note that from year to year there are more people who choose wine from among alcoholic products.

Lithuania, where 16.30 liters of alcoholic beverages are consumed per year, ranks fifth in the list of the most drinking countries in 2015.

Did you know that Lithuanian midus is the oldest alcoholic drink based on honey, yeast and water? Lithuania produces three varieties of mead and many honey nectars, tinctures and balms.

She took the fourth position in terms of the amount of alcohol consumed (16.47 liters).

Czech beer has a long and rich history. Pilsner, Radegast and Velkopopovicky Kozel are the most famous brands of Czech brewers in the world. Beer production here began in the 12th century thanks to the Celts. The drink became so popular that after a few years it was brewed in almost every home. Developed in the country and winemaking. Now it is the most promising branch of agriculture in the Czech Republic. Most of the vineyards are located in Moravia, which is why Czech wines are also called Moravian.

In Prague, you can taste almost all local varieties of wine and beer - a large number of pubs and bars are located in the capital of the country.

The third line in the list of countries whose population consumed the most alcohol in 2015 belongs to Estonia. Tallinn has been repeatedly recognized as the most calm, cultural and romantic European city. Nevertheless, 17.24 liters of alcoholic beverages are consumed here per year. In the Old Town, the historical center of Tallinn, you can not only admire the old buildings, but also spend an evening in the most famous local restaurant, Olde Hansa, whose furnishings are stylized as the Middle Ages. Candles, oak tables and food that knights could eat in ancient times - in such an atmosphere, the hand itself reaches for a mug of ale. In the absence of it, beer is also suitable.

The second in the list of countries where alcohol is consumed the most was. 17.47 liters - this is how much its inhabitants drink on average per year. The country is known for its national product - gorilka, known since the 17th century. At least, documentary evidence of Ukrainian vodka, which was then called "hot wine", dates back to that time. There are manufacturers of high-quality alcoholic products in Ukraine, which have proven themselves well in the world. First of all, this is Nemiroff. The most famous product of this brand is Ukrainian Honey with Pepper vodka.

She took first place in the list of the most drinking countries. According to the WHO, this year the consumption of alcohol per capita by the inhabitants of the country amounted to 17.5 liters. It should be noted that the researchers were unable to obtain data on home brewing, so the actual figures are higher than the official figures announced. Belarus thus became the most drinking country in the world in 2015.

Critical alcohol consumption rate according to WHO and the world average

Meanwhile, the critical norm of alcohol consumption per year per person, according to WHO, is 8 liters. If we take the global average consumption of alcoholic beverages, then it amounted to approximately 6 liters of alcohol per year per person.

What do they drink in different countries

It should be borne in mind that different types of alcoholic products are consumed in different regions of the world. In France, Portugal and Spain they drink mainly wine. Beer and wine are equally held in high esteem in countries such as Germany, Bulgaria, Belgium and Switzerland. The further north the country is located, the more strong alcoholic beverages are consumed in it. These include: Czech Republic, Canada, Slovakia, Denmark, USA, UK, Finland, Japan, Norway.

Did you know that about 48% of the world's population has never touched alcohol in their lives?

The World Health Organization (WHO) is responsible for alcohol consumption statistics at the global level. The organization conducts a large-scale study of this problem every five years. The last policy report on this topic was published by WHO in 2014.

In the European tradition, there is no such stigma as "sick with alcoholism." It is customary for them to talk about "people who have problems with alcohol." The figure is called 10-15% of people from the entire population who have such problems of varying severity.

There is no narcological registration of alcoholics in Europe, therefore, it is impossible to name the percentage of patients with alcoholism in our understanding of this phrase.

Europeans are the most drunk people in the world. It is logical to assume that in countries with a large amount of alcohol consumed, a greater percentage of people dependent on alcohol and a shorter life expectancy. However, statistical data show that there is no rigid relationship between these factors.

Indirect factors influence the transformation of alcohol consumption into its abuse, namely:

• The standard of living of people.
• The culture of drinking.
• Types of alcoholic beverages that the population mainly consumes.
• Attitude towards alcoholics.

Alcoholism, according to generally accepted opinion, is characteristic of social groups with low status, education and income. Of course, alcoholism affects well-off members of society, for example, those belonging to show business and the entertainment industry. However, these cases are isolated and, like any exceptions, only confirm the general rule. A high standard of living is associated with a well-paid job, certain obligations, and an appropriate circle of acquaintances. Taken together, these factors do not initially suggest alcohol abuse.

The culture of drinking that exists in European countries also prevents people from sliding into abuse. There it is customary to drink in bars and pubs, while drinking does not turn into an end in itself, but accompanies spending time in a pleasant company.

It should also be borne in mind that alcohol in European countries is not cheap and is several times higher than the cost of domestic alcoholic beverages.

This applies to both regular vodka and branded drinks. The high price puts up barriers to drinking. Connoisseurs of quality alcoholic beverages drink a little.

The types of alcoholic beverages consumed have an impact on the alcoholization of the population. In theory, over long periods of time, alcoholism can be formed by drinking beer, wine, any other drink. However, the abuse of hard liquor makes the formation of alcoholism faster and more aggressive. For example, in Moldova, with one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption (mainly in the form of wine), life expectancy is one of the highest in Europe.

Finally, the attitude towards people with alcoholism in Europe is characterized by humanity and the promotion of their inclusion in the surrounding life. For this purpose, there are groups of Alcoholics Anonymous, various trainings and psychotherapeutic courses that help addicted people not to feel like useless outcasts. A high level of socio-psychological assistance to patients with alcoholism prevents the occurrence of relapses and promotes the socialization of patients with alcoholism, they are helped by:

• Apply for a job.
• Create a family.
• In hard situations.

In general, it can be noted that in Europe the problem of alcoholism is not considered paramount. European society is more concerned with the treatment of somatic diseases, which are caused by the use of alcohol in any quantities.

Situation in Russia

It is a deep delusion that people drink more in Russia than anywhere else. They drink a lot, but at the same time there are countries where they drink more. An erroneous opinion about the extreme spread of alcoholism in Russia is formed against the background of the general situation with the use of alcohol, which in Russia has its own local specifics:

The listed nuances of drinking alcohol in Russia determine what is called the national drinking habit.

With regard to alcoholism, it is difficult to talk about objective figures. First, not all countries maintain official records of alcohol abusers.

Secondly, even where it is conducted, for example, in Russia, it is difficult to understand how much the official figures reflect the real picture: after all, apart from those registered in the narcological dispensary, a significant part of the abusers do not fall into this statistics.

In societies where alcoholic beverages are openly available, the percentage of people seeking medical help for addiction has been shown to be stable at 2%. The indicator may fluctuate at the level of statistical error from country to country.

The percentage of people who have "problems with alcohol", i.e. abusers who have not yet sought medical help due to addiction is stable and ranges from 10% to 15%. This indicator is universal and is true for all countries and societies in which alcohol is freely available.

If we translate these percentages into the number of people using the example of Russia, we get the following picture. The first figure, representing those registered with or seeking treatment for addiction, is 2.8 million. The second figure, indicating the number of people who have "problems with alcohol" or abuse alcohol, is 14-21 million people.

For the European Union, with a population of 500 million, these figures are 10 million and 51-76 million, respectively.

Despite the fact that the first lines in the leaders in alcohol consumption are confidently and traditionally occupied by European countries, the attitude of European residents to alcohol is heterogeneous and differentiated by country.

Consider the states that are in the top five with the highest alcohol consumption per capita. Data based on 2014 WHO report.

Belarus:

• The country with the most drinking population: 17.5 liters of alcohol equivalent per capita per year.
• 26.5% of the population drink alcohol.
• The proportion of deaths associated with the consequences of alcohol consumption is 34.7%.
• Life expectancy - 72.1 g.

• 16.8 liters of alcohol equivalent per year.
• 32.2% of the population drink alcohol.
• The proportion of deaths associated with the consequences of alcohol consumption is 33.1%.
• Life expectancy - 81.4 g.

• Life expectancy - 73.9 g.
• The proportion of deaths associated with the consequences of alcohol consumption is 30.9%.
• 36.7% of the population drink alcohol.
• 15.4 liters of alcohol equivalent per year.

• 15.1 liters of alcohol equivalent per year.
• 19.3% of the population consumes alcohol.
• The proportion of deaths associated with the consequences of alcohol consumption is 30.5%.
• Life expectancy - 70.5 g.

• 14.4 liters of alcohol equivalent per year.
• 7.9% of the population consumes alcohol.
• The proportion of deaths associated with the consequences of alcohol consumption is 8.9%.
• Life expectancy - 68.7 g.

The top ten countries with the highest alcohol consumption also included other countries in central and eastern Europe:

• Ukraine (13.9 l).
• Andorra (13.8 l).
• Hungary (13.3 l).
• Czech Republic (13 l).
• Slovakia (13 l).

Economically developed countries are ranked in the following positions:

• 18th place - France (12.2 liters).
• 23rd place - Germany (11.8 liters).
• 25th place - Great Britain (11.6 l).
• 42nd place - the Netherlands (9.9 l).
• 48th place - USA (9.2 l).
• 141st place - Israel (2.8 l)

When people talk about death from alcoholism, they mean a complex of causes associated with alcohol abuse. This:

• Accidents - 29.6%.
• Oncological diseases - 21.6%.
• Cirrhosis of the liver - 16.6%.
• Cardiovascular diseases - 14%.
• Other reasons - 18.2%.

On average, 4% of deaths worldwide every year are caused by excessive alcohol consumption. This corresponds to 2.5 million people.

According to various data, including the data of the World Health Association, over the past 5 years, the world's leading position in terms of alcohol consumed per capita has been occupied by the same countries.
From year to year they change places, but the ten most drinking countries in the world remain unchanged.

It is important to note that in most cases, statistics are kept taking into account the population over the age of 15 years.

These are mainly southern states, and what is noteworthy in the leading positions out of 10, half of the former Socialist Republics.

First place

For many years the first place with the amount of 17.5 liters of pure alcohol per capita has been consumed by the sister Republic of Belarus closest to Russia.
Mostly drinking here.

• 8.1 liters of strong drinks from 40 degrees and above (vodka, including moonshine)
• 3.1 liters of pure alcohol in a low alcohol product such as beer.
• 0.9 liter of pure alcohol in wine products
• 5.4 liters of pure alcohol in other alcoholic and low alcohol products.

Second place

In second place is also once one of the Republics of the USSR Moldova. This state from year to year, either is in first place, or sometimes shifts to third place, giving way to the leadership of Belarus and Russia.

In total, fellow citizens and visiting residents consume as much as 16.8 liters of pure alcohol per capita
It is noteworthy that:
-beer is drunk by 13%
-strong spirits are 16% more than in Moldova

Third place

The third place is occupied, oddly enough, by the former socialist Republic of Lithuania, with the amount of alcohol consumed in 15.4 liters.
It is noteworthy that Russia constantly takes either 3rd or 4th place in the list of the world's most drinking.

fourth position

The fourth place was taken by the Russian Federation with 15.1 liters. Of the total mass drunk, strong foods take up only half of the total.

Closes the top five from the end

5. Romania also entered the top five abusers, with 14.4 net per capita.

Finishing the top ten:

• Ukraine: 13.9
• Andora: 13.8
• Hungary: 13.3
• Czech Republic: 13.0
• Slovakia: 13.0

Looking at the list of these states, you immediately understand what they have in common, this is, of course, the standard of living of fellow citizens in these countries.
Looking at the statistics on the standard of living of people in the countries of the world, one can trace such a trend.

The worse people live, the more they consume alcohol.
If we examine the top ten, then, because, for example, the same one:

• Belarus is in 58th place,
• Russia at 61-62,
• Ukraine at 64,
• Czech Republic on 24,
• Slovakia at 38

Perhaps not the best areas for a long and happy life.

But if we look a little further than dozens of outsiders, we will immediately stumble upon such a developed country as Finland, with indicators of 12.3, but it is also in 8th place in terms of the standard of living of people, with varying degrees of success, or such a developed and modern country as France, which has indicators at 12.2, and with a standard of living in the top 20.

Probably, after all, the amount of alcohol consumed does not depend on our standard of living, because there is money for alcohol, but on established traditions.

Which would not be bad to change, at least in our country.

What would everyone say: Russian is sober

By the way, serious work has been carried out in this direction in Russia over the past 5 years.

What is it worth doing:

• Universiade in Kazan
• Winter Olympic Games in Sochi
• preparations for holding the World Cup throughout Russia in 2018,
• as well as preparations for the Summer Universiade in 2019.

The state also supports young families in their desire to create families and produce more than 1 and 2 children. All this also moves young people to a healthy life, without alcohol, tobacco, and even more so drugs.

All steps taken by the government of the country are aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle of fellow citizens.

In order to be more interested in sports, have an active position and maybe in the near future this will bear fruit

It has long been a stereotype that the most drinking country in the world is Russia, and to some extent Ireland shares the championship with it. Perhaps this was helped by the image of a cheerful “reveler guy”, replicated by the media and gradually becoming an integral part of the mentality of these countries. But the dry figures of statistics put this, frankly, far from an honorable superiority, into doubt.

Top most drinking countries: who is ahead of Poland

A full report on the amount of alcohol consumed in 2013 (namely, these indicators were processed and became the basis of the new rating) will not be given in this article, but we will name the 10 most drinking countries in the world.

Poland is in tenth place in this ranking. The choice of alcohol in this country is rather big. Locals love both beer and stronger drinks, which they know a lot about. Particularly popular among Poles is Zubrovka - vodka, in a bottle with which manufacturers place a grass stalk, which gives it a special flavor.

The ninth place statistics of the most drinking countries assigns Germany. The Germans, unlike the Poles, prefer beer, which can be bought everywhere - in specialized shops, vegetable stands and even newsstands.

Paying homage to this love of frothy drink, Munich hosts every year where visitors can gorge themselves on the famous fried German sausages and drink huge amounts of beer.

Luxembourg and France - eighth and seventh in the ranking

The territory of which is located between Germany and France, in equal shares adopted the drinking culture of both states. In Luxembourg, they love both beer and wine. It must be admitted that both of these drinks are very tasty here. The small state has a large number of breweries and wineries, many of which have a long history.

The French love wine the most. It has long become an integral part of even a regular meal, which, unfortunately, has not only a positive effect on digestion - among the French, there are more and more people with alcoholism.

6th place - Hungary

Hungary is also not the most drinking country. But in our ranking, she overtook France. Hungary is no less famous than France for its vineyards. And wine is the traditional alcoholic drink of its inhabitants. And one of its varieties - palinka - has become a kind of national brand. It is prepared by distillation not only from grapes, but also from any berries - cherries, plums, apricots, raspberries, strawberries, etc., and as a result, a rather strong (37.5 °) drink is obtained.

Perhaps, the fact that in the country you can buy alcohol almost around the clock has led to disastrous results.

Fifth place - Russia

Unfortunately, Russia is also included in the list of the most drinking countries. It has been calculated that the inhabitants of the huge country consume approximately 15 liters of alcohol per person per year, which allowed it to take 5th place.

Everyone knows the passion of Russians for vodka, which has long become a national drink. Although recently, according to researchers, there has been a clear trend towards the fact that an increasing number of citizens of the Russian Federation prefer wine.

Perhaps this, and also a tough policy in relation to the sale and consumption of alcoholic products, will somewhat reduce the “degree” among the population? Let's hope that Russia, in the end, will leave its positions.

4th and 3rd place - Czech Republic and Estonia

Czechs, as calculated by researchers, consume 16.47 liters of alcohol per capita per year. Everyone knows the famous varieties of Czech beer, dating back to the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, beer was brewed in every house, so it is not surprising that the drink acquired the status of a national one and took a strong position in the culture of this country.

By the way, it must be said that, despite the seemingly frightening statistics, in the Czech Republic the percentage of people who abuse alcohol is rather low.

On the third line of the sad list is Estonia. And although everyone knows the balanced and unflappable nature of the Estonians, they, as it turned out, are very fond of strong drinks. The main one is ale.

The inhabitants of Estonia themselves believe that the basis of their problem is the availability of alcohol, the excessive branching of outlets where you can buy it and the relatively low price of alcoholic beverages.

Austria and Lithuania lead the ranking of the most drinking countries

Austria came in second on the list. In this country, schnapps, a strong alcoholic drink, enjoys special respect, but beer is no less popular here.

Studies have shown that in Austria, however, as in other countries, a drinking person is, most often, a man who does not have a higher education and is at a low social level. Fortunately, there is a trend towards a gradual decrease in the number of citizens who consume alcohol in the country.

Finally, we got to the top of the rankings. So, the most drinking country in the world is Lithuania. The proportion of deaths associated with the consequences of alcohol consumption is 30.9%. And more than 36% of the population can be attributed to the category of drinkers. It is unlikely that the inhabitants of Lithuania are very proud of the first place in such a rating!

The World Health Organization (WHO) published in 2014 a report on alcohol consumption in the world (as of 2010), which presented data on how many liters of pure alcohol are consumed per year by people over the age of 15 in different countries. Let's see who was in the top ten most drinking countries in the world.

10 PHOTOS

10th place. Slovakia. Alcohol consumption by an average citizen of this country in terms of pure alcohol is 13 liters, with an average consumption in the European region of 10.9 liters. At the same time, the male population of Slovakia drinks 20.5 liters per person, the female - 6.1 liters. (Photo: Renata Opprecht/flickr.com).

How much pure alcohol does alcoholic beverages contain, for example, wine with a strength of 13 degrees? 750 milliliters of this wine contains only 97.5 milliliters of pure alcohol. Now try to imagine how much you need to drink it so that the average consumption in the country is like that of the “world record holder for alcohol consumption” or 17.5 liters of pure alcohol per year!?

9th place. Czech Republic. The average annual consumption of pure alcohol per 1 inhabitant of the country over 15 years old is 13 liters, including 18.6 liters for men and 7.8 liters for women. (Photo: flamedot/flickr.com).
8th place. Hungary. Each inhabitant of this country over the age of 15 drinks 13.3 liters of pure alcohol per year, while men - 20.4 liters, women - 7.1 liters. (Photo: Matteo Muratore/flickr.com).
7th place. Andorra. 13.8 liters of pure alcohol per year is drunk by the average citizen of this country over 15 years old, while among men consumption is 19.5 liters per person, among women - 8.2 liters. (Photo: JK04/flickr.com).
6th place. Ukraine. Each inhabitant of this country over the age of 15 drinks 13.9 liters of pure alcohol per year, while men - 22 liters, women - 7.2 liters. (Photo: alxpn/flickr.com).
5th place. Romania. The average resident (over 15 years old) of Romania drinks 14.3 liters of pure alcohol per year, while men - 22.6 liters, women - 6.8 liters. (Photo: Matt Bigwood/flickr.com).
4th place. Russia. The average annual consumption of pure alcohol per 1 inhabitant of Russia aged 15 years and older is 15.1 liters. Men drink 23.9 liters per year, women - 7.8 liters. (Photo: Ilya Klenkov/flickr.com).
3rd place. Lithuania. An average resident (over 15 years old) of Lithuania drinks 15.4 liters of pure alcohol per year, while men consume an average of 24.4 liters, women 7.9 liters. (Photo: Michael Pretzsch/flickr.com).
2nd place. Moldova. The average annual consumption of pure alcohol per inhabitant of Moldova over 15 years old is 16.8 liters, including 25.9 liters per man and 8.9 liters per woman. (Photo: Andreas G/flickr.com).
1 place. Belarus has become the world record holder for the consumption of pure alcohol per capita. During the year, the average resident of Belarus over 15 years old drinks 17.5 liters of pure alcohol, while men drink an average of 27.5 liters, and women 9.1 liters. (Photo: Radio Svaboda/flickr.com).

Alcohol is currently causing more deaths globally than HIV/AIDS, pneumonia and violence combined. In Belarus, the problem of alcoholism is becoming truly catastrophic, it affects almost every family. And the social and economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption become a heavy burden not only for a single family, but for the whole society. The only way to get rid of alcohol addiction is treatment. There are many methods of complex treatment of alcoholism, both drug and non-drug, as well as innovative programs, which can be found on netzavisimosti.by. Help your loved ones! Alcoholism is a disease that needs to be treated like any other!