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Which Country Drinks the Most?
The Economist released a study on which countries drink the most, and guess which came in first? Luxembourg, the tiny, landlocked country nestled between France, Belgium and Germany. But why Luxembourg? "One explanation is that the duty on alcohol is relatively cheap in the tiny nation, encouraging booze tourism from its more heavily taxed neighbours." There's no explanation for Ireland being second, however. I guess they just drink a lot.
To see the rest of the list, visit The Economist. Related: Which country smokes the most?Filed under: Arts and Culture, Food and Drink
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Philip Feb 18th 2008 3:00PM
People here in the UK (10th on the list) tend to drink quite a lot - it's extremely easy to get alcohol before you are 18, so the drinking age doesn't really affect many people. You see loads of 15-17 year olds in town on a Friday or Saturday night either on the streets or in clubs, even in smaller cities like mine (Oxford).
crash Oct 2nd 2008 5:51AM
1 reason y america isnt up their is the week alcahol that is sold in america compared to other countries as for ireland ur talking about the country that invented puichin the american if difrent but its made with potoato skins every where but on the aran islands
Joe Jan 18th 2009 3:51PM
"lived and worked in a bar in ireland and noticed the irish tend to exaggerate about how much they drink"
Its based on consumption not the anecdotes of some rambling drunk so I think it's fair to say it's accurate, also having been to ireland it's completely different to how most probably think, there are the old pubs that the older guys hang out in and drink all night for sure, but going to a friends house and drinking all night is common from the age 14-15 and accepted by the parents and once you hit 18 you go out to the clubs and drink before going back to someones house and drinking even more, and once you get older you get into the pub routine, yes this happens in many places, but obviously its ingrained a little more in irish culture and accepted and is steady since they're young, so I definitely see how they're up there.
Frank Mar 1st 2009 10:19AM
I was in Hungary at Lake Balaton in Sifofok.
http://www.hungaryrooms.com/hotels/Siofok
I was there with my family. We took puszta tour,where the welcome drink is hungarian palinka (brandy). It was not light.
ccfc Apr 20th 2009 5:36PM
The list makes comlete sense
It true what is said about ireland being the exception in not having cheap drink. The price of a bottle of wine is 3 or 4 times higher than in France for example, and bottles of whiskey for example jameson that is made in midleton, county cork cost 3 times as much in ireland than in spain because the irish government places massive taxes on alcohol so people can only buy what they afford. There are ads on tv, billboards and the toilets of pubs to encourage people not to drink so much but alcohol is part of the irish culture. Also alcohol cannot be sold in outside a pub, club or hotel after ten, and pubs have to stop serving at 11.30 on weekdays and 12.30 on weekends and nightclubs have to close by 2. So we have really strict laws. And drink driving is a strictly enforced in ireland both at night and in the mornings by random breath tests. Dont think they'll every change our culture.
Luxemburg is also high up because it is one of the richest places on earth, as well as that it is a city state with a huge amount of tourists who drink on holidays and business trips.
The next countries are eastern europeans, there has been massive immigration from there to ireland in recent years and believe me they can drink.
As for the comments many people made about american not being there. Iv been there, the culture is complety different. What is called drunk in america is usually just a few drinks, in ireland your drunk when your getting sick.
As for what people where saying about America being too religious for heavy drinking, 90% of irish people are Catholics and most of the rest protestants and we still drink alot. Religon most have a different culture in america
ccfc Apr 20th 2009 5:37PM
Household alcohol spending in Ireland is three times more than any European household. We spend on average €1,675 on alcohol - followed by Denmark which spends €531. No wonder we're all broke and going through a recession
By far the greatest proportion and level of expenditure on alcohol in Europe is found in Ireland, with each household spending nearly €PPP17008 on alcohol each year.9 This is three times the level of any other country, and over ten times as much as Greece (see Figure 3.4). More generally, expenditure is much lower in the wine producing countries than in the rest of the EU15, reflecting the relatively low price of alcohol in Southern Europe
yaya Jun 13th 2009 2:03PM
US is the shiiiit
greg Sep 8th 2009 9:33PM
i could have sworn ukraine was going to be on the list.
jim Sep 9th 2009 5:01PM
In the us you are a slave to the laws.you drink one beer and you are busted when you get pulled over.no thanks to the stupid m.m.a.d.d we can't enjoy 1 or 2 beers in this no freedom country.this country is to strick.where's our freedom!where did it go!this country was great and now it isn't no thanks to the laws!
Isaibella Nov 3rd 2009 3:48PM
Here in America we frown upon drinking under 21. Its common sense not to had a 10 year old any kind of alcoholic beverage. I'm not saying that its unacceptable for a 18 year to drink, I'm saying that its unacceptable for anyone under 16 to drink. I think the United States should go with lowering the drinking age to 18. I love my country so much but I don't agree with some of the laws.
Mark Nov 16th 2009 8:50AM
what if northern Ireland was also counted alonside the south?
anna Jun 18th 2007 8:22AM
omg i cant believe that we drink alot of beer
Mike Jun 18th 2007 8:46AM
Ok, how did America not make the list. Are they going by drikers per person or by the gallon, Because if it was by the gallon we would definitely win.
Steve Jun 18th 2007 9:38AM
Anyone who expected the US to be in the top 5 must be crazy! A huge number of Americans have a serious puritanical streak, plus tough drinking and driving laws, plus expensive alcohol.... adds up to no surprise that the US is not up there. The idea of social drinking is a little more limited here in America, while in some European countries it is part of the social fabric - Irish pubs may explain 2nd place. Plus Guinness - frankly if I lived there I'd be drinking a lot of that too!
I was surprised that Germany wasn't up near the top, they do love their beer, but I guess they are a bit 'responsible' still, so...
matt Jun 18th 2007 10:42AM
wow not only america should be on the list but wisconsin alone should be on there
Christopher Jun 18th 2007 11:12AM
Firstly, the US would never, EVER be on the list. These countries are far more open to social drinking than we are, and for every one of them, their drinking age is between 18 and none at all. If there's either no drinking age, or at least a purchase age of 18, that makes a huge difference. Plus we're all uptight here about that kind of thing.
Megan Jun 18th 2007 11:28AM
Huh - those are not the countries I would have guessed. Actually, I definitly would have put Ireland up there - and I agree with the people who are saying that America doesn't belong on that list, but what about all those wine-drinking countries like France or Italy? With the great beer they've got in Germany, why aren't they up there? It's interesting, anyway.
Myek Elton Jun 19th 2007 10:31PM
NEW YORK IS NOT IN THERE? HOLY CRAP!
AlexR Jun 18th 2007 1:32PM
Is it bad that the US does not appear there? Alcohol has brought so many problems to Europe, go to London or Dublin, see all these young people consumed by it everywhere, add to that the older ones who have less of a fix. I am no under "serious puritanical streak" and I do drink, but really, you all make it seem that the US is inferior or stupider or less cool for not drinking as much alcohol as other countries. And yes, there are many factors that would make the idea of the US appearing there quite difficult, many were mentioned, but it isnt such a bad thing...
Cordia Jun 18th 2007 1:37PM
On the fact that we don't drink that much, yes it is true. The actors, and some of the others do (non-purists). But as for me I treid it didn't like and am not judging anyone, and that is just their lifestyle. But What about England, and Germany. Yes they should both be up on the list, who made this list anyways. They didn't check the legal ages evidentally and didn't care too.