Canadians are known worldwide for our prowess in the production of alcohol, but we're practically teetotalers compared to some nations.
This is according to a new survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Leading the pack is the tiny Eastern European nation of Moldova, whose citizens over the age of 15 consumed an awe-inspiring average of 18.22 litres of pure alcohol in 2005. This is almost double the amount Canadians drink.
However only 8.22 L of this consumption was recorded, suggesting an unusually active booze black market. Close behind is the the Czech Republic, a nation known internationally for its Pilsner beers. The average Czech consumed 16.45 L, considerably more than their former nationmate Slovakia at 13.33 L and Canada at 9.77 L. Americans consume an almost identical quantity of alcohol as Canadians, at 9.44 L per year.
Europe and Russia dominate the list of hard-drinking nations, while predominantly Muslim nations in the Middle East, North Africa and the South Pacific occupy most of the spots near the bottom.
Several Muslim nations have zero recorded alcohol consumption, including Kuwait, Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh and Somalia. Saudi Arabia (0.5 L), Iran (0.02 L), Iraq (0.2 L) and Pakistan (0.01 L) all had negligible recorded consumption, but due to unrecorded drinking no country had zero total use, illustrating the reach of intoxicating beverages to every corner of the globe.
Beer is the most popular beverage in Canada, at roughly twice the popularity of spirits and wine. This trend holds true in the United States, although wine is even less popular there.
Beer is by far the most popular alcoholic beverage in North America, South America and Australia, while spirits dominate consumption in Eastern Europe, Russia, its former satellite states and Asia. Wine is most popular in just a few nations — mostly producers — such as Chile, Argentina, France, Italy and Portugal.
Male consumption was more than double that of females in Canada, with men over 15 drinking an average of 18.20 L of pure alcohol and women 7 L. Mali had the highest consumption amongst male drinkers in the world at 62.1 L, while female drinkers in the West African nation downed only 1.8 L. Unsurprisingly, men consumed more than women in every nation on earth.
According to the WHO, alcohol abuse kills 2.5 million people per year. Yet, while correlation is certainly not causation, the nations with the lowest alcohol use seem to have their fair share of problems as well. It's anyone's guess whether less drinking might not spark new unexpected problems. I, for one, will continue to enjoy my Daily Brew.
(Photo credit: World Health Organization)
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