Europe’s heaviest drinkers have finally been revealed – and to the surprise of many, Brits have not even made it to the top 10.
Whether it is a glass of wine with lunch or beer at Oktoberfest, all countries have some kind of a tradition involving alcohol.
With the rise of people going sober, drinking has decreased in large parts of the EU over the past decade, with the largest reductions in Ireland, Lithuania, Greece and Spain.
AnOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report has found Latvia had the highest rate with 12.1 litres of alcohol per adult in 2020.
It is closely followed by the Czech Republic with 11.6 litres and Lithuania with 11.4.
Meanwhile, the UK ranks 18th, sitting behind France, Germany and Austria.
The data shows the average adult here drank 9.7 litres of alcohol in 2020, showing the infamous ‘British drinking culture’ seems to be changing.
This is the equivalent to about six large glasses of wine a week.
Nearly one in five adults (19%) reported heavy episodic drinking at least once a month in EU countries in 2019, a proportion that has remained stable since 2014.
This varies from less than 5% in Cyprus and Italy to more than 35% in Romania and Denmark.
And in all countries, men were more likely than women to report heavy episodic drinking.
But according to the OECD, most countries – including Britain – saw their alcohol consumption drop over the decade.
The report said: ‘Many European countries have implemented a range of policies to limit alcohol consumption, such as taxation, restrictions on alcohol availability and bans on alcohol advertising.
‘But their effectiveness is hindered by poor implementation on the ground and limited resources.’
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