The surprising countries that consume the most beer per capita
It's International Beer Day! We'll be sipping a crisp pint later tonight, but first we've decided to map the world according to beer consumption per capita. Which nation is most enamoured by those sweet amber suds?
The answer to that question is resounding: the Czech Republic. According to research by the Japanese beverage company Kirin, the country has topped the per capita beer drinking table for 24 consecutive years.
In 2016, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the Czechs drank 143.3 litres per person (up from 142.4 litres in 2015). That's the equivalent of 287 pints – or one every 30 hours. But, given that minors are unlikely to be contributing to that figure, it's safe to assume that the average beer drinker probably guzzles quite a bit more.
Snapping at the Czech Republic's heels are the usual pretenders. Austria and Germany come third and fourth, Poland fifth and Ireland sixth.
There are some surprises, however. In eighth place is the Seychelles, a lofty ranking which we'll put down to the hot climate and the large number of holidaymakers. Namibia, meanwhile, takes second spot – surely that's down to its colonial ties with Germany.
Giving that drinking large quantities of lager can sometimes feel like our national sport, it's also surprising to see the UK down in 25th overall, with a consumption rate of just 67.7 liters per capita. Time to raise your game, folks.
The world's biggest beer drinkers
Czech Republic - 143.3 litres per capita
Namibia - 108
Austria - 106
Germany - 104.2
Poland - 100.8
Ireland - 98.2
Romania - 94.1
Seychelles - 90
Estonia - 89.5
Lithuania - 88.7
Belize - 85
Spain - 84.8
Slovenia - 80.3
Slovakia - 80.1
Croatia - 78.7
Gabon - 77.8
Finland - 76.9
Bulgaria - 76.3
Panama - 75
Iceland - 75
What about total alcohol consumption per capita?
When it comes to overall alcohol consumption, a new top dog emerges. Belarus is the world's booziest nation, with the average Joe (or Sergei) consumes 17.5 litres of pure alcohol per year – that's equivalent to 179 bottles of wine, or 1,750 shots of vodka.
The world's booziest nations
Belarus - 17.5 litres of pure alcohol per capita
Moldova - 16.8
Lithuania - 15.4
Russia - 15.1
Romania - 14.4
Ukraine - 13.9
Andorra - 13.8
Hungary - 13.3
Czech Republic - 13
Slovakia - 13
How about wine?
We've also uncovered the countries that quaff the most wine per capita. The proud title of most fervent vino guzzler goes to Andorra. According to the Wine Institute, the country consumed 3,936,000 litres of wine in 2014 (the most recent year for which comprehensive statistics are available). Given that just 69,165 people call the Pyrenean principality home, according to the UN, that's an impressive 56.9 litres per head. Or the equivalent of 76 bottles.
The biggest wine drinkers
Andorra - 56.9 litres per capita
Vatican City - 56.2
Croatia - 46.9
Portugal - 43.7
France - 43.1
Slovenia - 42.5
Macedonia - 40.4
Falkland Islands - 38.5
Switzerland - 37
Italy - 34.1
