Alcoholism by Country 2025

Alcoholism is a chronic, yet common medical disorder that afflicts millions of people all over the world. The term “alcoholism” is a mainstream expression used to describe a disease known medically as “alcohol use disorder.” Alcohol use disorder is characterized by the abuse of and dependency on alcohol. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), a person may be diagnosed with alcohol dependency disorder if they exhibit any two of the following symptoms within a 12-month period:

Symptoms of Alcohol Dependency Disorder (alcoholism)

• Drinking more, or longer, than intended
• Trying but being unable to cut down or stop drinking
• Spending a lot of time drinking
• Being sick or getting over other aftereffects
• Wanting a drink so badly that it’s hard to think of anything else
• Finding that drinking—or being sick from drinking—often interferes with taking care of home or family
• Drinking causing problems at work or school
• Continuing to drink in spite of this causing trouble with family or friends
• Giving up or cutting back on activities that are important, interesting, or pleasurable, in order to drink
• Getting into situations while or after drinking that increase the chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or having unprotected sex)
• Continuing to drink even though it is causing depression or anxiety or adding to another health problem
• Having had a memory blackout
• Having to drink much more than before to get the desired effect
• Finding that the usual number of drinks has a much lesser effect than before
• Finding that when the effects of alcohol have worn off, withdrawal symptoms ensue, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart, or a seizure
• Sensing things that are not there

Alcohol dependency disorder has multiple levels of severity which generally depend upon the number of symptoms expressed by a given patient: 2-3 is mild, 4-5 is moderate, and 6 or more is considered severe. Treatment for alcohol dependency disorder includes counseling, medications, and possibly medically assisted detoxification to help the individual safely stop drinking.

Alcohol Dependency Disorder by Country

The rate of alcoholism varies significantly among nations. While it might stand to reason that rates of alcoholism would correlate closely to overall alcohol consumption per country or possibly with drinking age by country, these correlations are not always present. For example, although consumption varies by state, Americans on average consume 9.9 liters of pure alcohol per capita annually (WHO, 2020), the equivalent of imbibing 33.0 handles (1,716.8 fluid ounces/50.75 liters) of vodka per person per year. This means that the U.S., despite being 5th on the list of countries with the highest rates of alcoholism, was only 35th on the list of countries with the highest alcohol consumption per capita in 2019 (CIA). The most recent data regarding alcoholism rates in each country was compiled by the World Health Organization, which recorded the percentage of males and females 15 years and above with alcohol use disorders in 2016.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Rates of Alcohol Use Disorder/Alcoholism (both genders)

Hungary has the highest prevalence of alcohol use disorders overall, with 21.2% of the total population afflicted. However, the per-gender numbers are even more informative, with 36.9% of men and 7.2% of females. This illustrates a common trend: males tend to exceed females in both alcoholism and overall alcohol consumption by a wide margin. For example, the next two lists offer gender-specific top 10 rankings.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Rates of Alcohol Use Disorder/Alcoholism (females)

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Rates of Alcohol Use Disorder/Alcoholism (males)