Beer Drinking Around The World: A Country Comparison

Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink worldwide, but preferences vary from country to country. In Central Europe, alcohol consumption is associated with beer-drinking, whereas in Mediterranean countries, it's wine, and in Eastern or Northern Europe, spirits are preferred. However, these traditional preferences don't always align with current drinking habits. For instance, beer is now the most popular alcoholic drink in Poland, despite it traditionally being a vodka-drinking country. An interactive map by Ghost in the Data, which uses data from the World Health Organization, reveals that Russia, France, and the US and Canada all favour liquor, wine, and beer respectively. But what about when it comes to beer consumption per capita? According to research by the Japanese beverage company Kirin, the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita, with 143.3 litres per person.

Beer consumption per capita

Beer is one of the most widely consumed alcoholic beverages in the world. It is the third most popular drink after water and tea. Beer consumption is measured by volume and per capita. The former expresses the amount of beer a country drinks in litres, while the latter divides that number by the population to show the litres of beer consumed per person.

Outside of Europe, the Seychelles and Namibia are also among the top beer-consuming countries per capita. The United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the People's Republic of China are other countries with notable beer consumption per capita.

It is important to note that beer consumption can have health consequences, as excessive alcohol consumption is associated with health risks such as alcohol use disorder, liver cirrhosis, and increased risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

Beer-drinking countries

While beer has become the most popular alcoholic drink worldwide, preferences vary from country to country. Some countries have a long history of beer drinking and can be grouped into a so-called "beer belt". These are mostly Central European countries, such as Belgium, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Slovenia. In North America, the US and Canada also have a strong preference for beer.

The Czech Republic has consistently topped the per capita beer-drinking table for many years. In 2016, the average Czech drank 143.3 litres of beer, or 287 pints, per year. This is the equivalent of one pint every 30 hours. Other countries that consume a lot of beer per capita include Namibia, the Seychelles, Austria, Germany, Poland, and Ireland.

In some countries, beer has traditionally been considered a "people's drink", common among the peasantry. For example, vodka was once seen as a drink for the aristocracy in Poland and Russia. However, since the early 21st century, beer has become the preferred alcoholic drink in many countries that traditionally preferred vodka, such as Finland, Sweden, and Poland.

While beer is the most popular alcoholic drink worldwide, some countries have a very low consumption of alcohol overall. For example, Libya and Afghanistan report a very low per capita alcohol consumption of only 0.01 litres.

Beer-loving nations

While beer has become the most popular alcoholic drink worldwide, there are some countries that stand out for their love of the beverage. One of the most well-known beer-loving nations is the Czech Republic, which has consistently topped the per capita beer drinking table for several years. In 2016, the Czechs drank an average of 143.3 litres of beer per person, which equates to 287 pints or one pint every 30 hours.

Other countries that are known for their high per capita beer consumption include Namibia, the Seychelles, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Ireland. In terms of total alcohol consumption, Belarus is the world's booziest nation, with an average consumption of 17.5 litres of pure alcohol per person per year.

When it comes to the popularity of specific beer brands, the picture becomes more diverse. A 2015 map by VinePair showed that while a handful of multinational brewers own a large number of brands, the most popular beer varies considerably from country to country. For example, while Budweiser is the best-selling beer in Canada, Chernigivske is the top choice in Ukraine.

In Europe, the preference for beer is traditionally associated with Central European countries, while the Mediterranean pattern is associated with wine and Eastern or Northern European countries with spirits. However, these traditional preferences do not always align with current drinking habits. For instance, beer has become more popular than vodka in some traditionally vodka-preferring countries, such as Finland, Sweden, and Poland.

Beer brands by country

Beer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic drink and is available in a variety of types, including lager, stout, pilsner, and bock. Each country has its own popular beer, which is usually unique to that country and not widely consumed elsewhere. Here is a list of some popular beer brands by country:

Argentina

Cerveza Quilmes is the top choice for Argentinians. The brand produces lagers, reds, stouts, and bocks.

Australia

Australians enjoy a mid-strength lager called "XXXX Gold," produced by Victoria Bitter.

Belgium

The famous Chimay beer of Belgium is made by Trappist monks. Another relatively young brewery, Jupiler, is also popular.

Canada

Labatt is the most famous beer in Canada, narrowly beating Molson.

China

Snow Beer is the largest-selling beer in China and, by extension, the world, thanks to the country's enormous population.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has topped the per capita beer-drinking table for 24 consecutive years. The country is known for Pilsner Urquell, the first Pilsner in the world, invented in 1842.

Denmark

Carlsberg is a popular beer, best-selling in both Russia and Denmark.

Ethiopia

St. George Lager has been the drink of choice in Ethiopia since 1922.

India

Kingfisher is the reigning monarch of the Indian beer industry, with a market share of more than 50%.

Indonesia

Bintang Beer is brewed locally in Surabaya. It is a pilsner and the most popular beer in this South-Asian archipelago.

Israel

There is a debate among Israelis about whether Goldstar or its competitor Maccabee is the best-selling beer. However, since both beers come from the same brewery, it ultimately doesn't matter who wins.

Italy

Italians wind down with Peroni, a pale lager from the Peroni Brewery.

Jamaica

Red Stripe, famous for its stout little bottles, is Jamaica's favourite brew.

Japan

Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, and Sapporo are the four popular beers in Japan, with Asahi recently gaining a slight edge over the others.

Kenya

Tusker, Kenya's largest-sold beer, has an interesting backstory. Apparently, the owner of the brewery was killed in an elephant hunt, and the beer was named to remind everyone of that horrific incident.

Madagascar

Known for its wildlife, Madagascar's favourite national beer is named after animals—Three Horses Beer (THB). The brewery makes a variety of styles, with the pilsner being the most famous.

Netherlands

Heineken is the third-largest beer manufacturer in the world and the best-selling beer in the Netherlands. It is sold in a distinct green bottle.

Pakistan

Murree Beer is the only legally allowed beer in Pakistan, so it's no surprise that it's the largest-sold beer there.

Russia

Although Russians mostly drink vodka, they turn to Baltika when they want a beer.

Scotland

Tennent's Lager is the popular choice when Scots go for a beer instead of wine or whiskey.

Singapore

Tiger Beer, founded in 1932, is now found in over 60 countries worldwide.

South Africa

While South Africa imports beers like Guinness and Heineken, the largest-selling beer in the country is the locally brewed Castle Lager.

South Korea

Hite is the popular choice for South Koreans when they opt for beer over their favourite soju.

Thailand

The Thai know how to party, and they do it with Singha, a beer named after a mythological creature resembling a lion.

Venezuela

Cerveza Polar, produced initially in the 1940s, is a cute beer with an adorable polar bear on the bottle. It pairs well with the famous Venezuelan arepas.

Alcohol preferences

Europe

In Europe, alcohol preferences vary between beer, wine, and spirits, with these preferences traditionally associated with certain regions. Central European countries tend to favour beer, Mediterranean countries prefer wine, and Eastern and Northern European countries opt for spirits. However, traditional preferences do not always align with current drinking habits.

The countries with the highest per capita beer consumption in Europe include the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Poland, and Ireland. Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and some parts of Austria also fall into the "beer belt".

The "wine belt" in Europe includes countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, and Greece, where wine is historically the most popular drink.

The "vodka belt" or "spirit belt" consists of countries like Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Russia, which are significant producers and consumers of vodka. However, countries in this region have seen a shift towards beer as the drink of choice in recent years.

Americas

In the Americas, beer is the dominant alcoholic beverage, surpassing other types of drinks.

Southeast Asia and the Pacific

In the South-East Asian and Western Pacific regions, spirits are the most consumed alcoholic beverage, followed by beer and wine.

Income Considerations

Income levels also play a role in alcohol preferences. Wine consumption, for example, accounts for 27% of alcohol consumption in high-income countries, while it makes up less than 10% in lower-income countries. Beer, on the hand, holds a market share of approximately 40% in upper-middle-income and high-income countries, while it drops to 20% in lower-middle-income countries.

Frequently asked questions