World Health Organisation report: the heaviest drinkers are all in Europe.

United Kingdom and Ireland do not make the top ten. The report revealed that Britons over 15 years old drink 11.6 litres on average every year, making it joint 17th with Slovenia. Australia and Canada also failed to meet the top 10 but maintain high levels of drinking at 12.2 and 10.2 litres a year respectively. On average, the USA drinks 9.2 litres each year, Switzerland averages 10.7 liters alcohol per head per year.

The top ten countries, average consumed per adult head, in pure alcohol,

1st: Belarus - 17.5 litres
2nd: Moldova - 16.8 litres
3rd: Lithuania - 15.4 litres
4th: Russia - 15.1 litres
5th: Romania - 14.4 litres
6th: Ukraine - 13.9 litres
7th: Andorra - 13.8 litres
8th: Hungary - 13.3 litres
9th: Czech Republic - 13 litres
9th: Slovakia - 13 litres
10th: Portugal - 12.9 litres

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/worlds-top-10-heaviest-drinking-nations-152726344.html#KKMTSDt

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That is astounding. I'd be interested to know to what quantity of beverages ( wine/beer) this equates.

Mathematics: 100 litres of red wine at 10% strength, is about 10 liters of pure alcohol.

More or less confirms the old TRANSLATION of the USSR, as being the Union of Serious Stuff-drinking Republics

Surprised Ireland and the UK aren't on the list. Nice surprise though!

Some beverages quickly came to mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slivovitz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A1linka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C8%9Auic%C4%83
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakia

Who, other than Germans, drinks 10% wine?

Tom

Not quite sure why the surprise.

The countries listed drink spirits like they do water - local Vodka (not the branded stuff) costs pennies and keeps most alcoholics busy without much effort.

Western Europe "relies" more on wine and beer which means more liquid volume, so less alcohol per volume of liquid consumed.

Given the number of Russians visiting Prague (and arguably other countries on that list) I'd say that looking at locals only, they would drop further down the list.

Now it's clear why Russia annexed Crimea... to show an improvement in alcohol consumed per person!

That's not wine... that's for children.

Belgians have beer stronger than that.

These figures are directly linked to the results of the European Song Contest; so the worse the song, the more each nation drank.

Makes perfect sense.

So apart from my choice of wine, you do get the idea? Outside of Europe there isn't much heavy drinking, but then they do have the wacky 'backy.

As a portuguese all I have to say about this is: hic!

AA = Andorrans Anonymous?

Alcohol takes its toll on Russians' health (CNN video + article)

"Putinka (Russian: Путинка) is a brand of Russian vodka made by the state-owned Moscow Distillery Crystal company, and created in 2003 by Vinexem Brand Manager Stanislav Kaufman. The brand plays upon President Putin's name and popularity among Russians."

Putinka Limited Edition

It's surprising that's allowed!

I don't have a problem with alcohol, apart from taking the empties to the council dump!

Just found this map of the data ... a map is worth a thousand tables

Looks about right to me. I dated a Romanian guy for a while and wow...that guy could drink vodka like no one else I've ever met! It really was like drinking water for him and his mates.

PALINKA is marvellous

Now when one discounts those who don't drink (much) liquor - like children and women (at least not in Eastern Europe) - the average drinking (adult male) population must consume about a liter of pure alcohol every week or two. That somewhat explains why Russia doesn't have a problem of an aging male population.