Food and Beverage Age Structure

Drinking Age by Country 2025

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Country
Minimum Age for Consumption
Min. Age for On-Premise Sale
Min. Age for Off-Premise Sale
Additional Drinking Age Details
Afghanistan Flag
Afghanistanprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Albania Flag
Albania181818
Algeria Flag
Algeria1818
Andorra Flag
Andorra181818
Angola Flag
AngolaThere is no national legislation prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors. Legislation in Luanda Province: It is prohibited to sell alcohol beverages to anyone under the age of 18. It is also prohibited for minors to buy and consume alcohol.
Antigua and Barbuda Flag
Antigua and Barbuda1818
Argentina Flag
Argentina1818
Armenia Flag
Armenia1818
Australia Flag
Australia1818
Austria Flag
Austria16161618 for spirits, 16 for other alcohol beverages. Each federal state prohibits sale of alcohol beverages to anyone under 16 years of age. Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tirol, and Voralberg also prohibit sale of spirits and mixed drinks (whether pre-mixed drinks or cocktails) to anyone under 18 years of age.
Azerbaijan Flag
Azerbaijan1818
Bahamas Flag
Bahamas1818
Bahrain Flag
BahrainProhibited for Muslims.
Bangladesh Flag
Bangladesh212121Prohibited for Muslims to purchase unless they possess a medical prescription.
Barbados Flag
Barbados181818
Belarus Flag
Belarus1818
Belgium Flag
Belgium161618 for distilled beverages of higher than 1.2%ABV and fermented beverages of higher than 22%ABV; 16 for other alcohol beverages.
Belize Flag
Belize1818
Benin Flag
Benin202020
Bhutan Flag
Bhutan1818
Bolivia Flag
Bolivia1818
Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina181818
Botswana Flag
Botswana181818
Brazil Flag
Brazil181818
Brunei Flag
BruneiprohibitedprohibitedprohibitedNon-Muslims over 17 years of age are allowed to import alcohol not to exceed maximum total volume 2 liters of liquor and 12 cans of beer at 330 ml for personal use, once in 48 hours. This alcohol must be "stored and consumed at the place of residence of the importer" and is "not to be given, transferred or sold to another person.
Bulgaria Flag
Bulgaria181818
Burkina Faso Flag
Burkina Faso1818
Burundi Flag
Burundi1818
Cameroon Flag
Cameroon1818
Canada Flag
Canada18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec; 19 in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Yukon.
Cape Verde Flag
Cape Verde181818
Chad Flag
Chad1818
Chile Flag
Chile181818
China Flag
China1818
Colombia Flag
Colombia181818
Comoros Flag
Comoros212121Production of alcohol beverages by Muslims, their sale to Muslims, and their consumption by Muslims are prohibited.
Costa Rica Flag
Costa Rica181818
Croatia Flag
Croatia1818
Cuba Flag
Cuba1616
Cyprus Flag
Cyprus181818
Czech Republic Flag
Czech Republic181818
Denmark Flag
Denmark181816 (beverages of <16.5% ABV), 18 (beverages of ≥16.5% ABV).
Dominica Flag
Dominica1616
Dominican Republic Flag
Dominican Republic1818
Ecuador Flag
Ecuador1818
Egypt Flag
Egypt2121
El Salvador Flag
El Salvador1818
Equatorial Guinea Flag
Equatorial Guinea1616
Eritrea Flag
Eritrea1818
Estonia Flag
Estonia181818
Eswatini Flag
Eswatini1818
Ethiopia Flag
Ethiopia2121
Fiji Flag
Fiji1818
Finland Flag
Finland1818 (1.2–22% ABV), 20 (>22% ABV).
France Flag
France1818
Gabon Flag
Gabon1818
Gambia Flag
Gambia1616
Germany Flag
Germanyvariesvaries16 for beer and wine (14 if accompanied by parent or guardian), 18 for spirits.
Ghana Flag
Ghana1818
Greece Flag
Greece181818
Grenada Flag
Grenada16
Guatemala Flag
Guatemala181818
Guyana Flag
Guyana1818Exception for minors aged 16 and 17, if they consume a glass of beer, wine or cider with a meal in a restaurant.
Honduras Flag
Honduras1818
Hungary Flag
Hungary1818
Iceland Flag
Iceland2020
India Flag
Indiavariesvariesvaries18 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry, Rajasthan, and Sikkim. 21 in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. 25 in Meghalaya and Punjab. Consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Manipur, and Nagaland.
Indonesia Flag
Indonesia212121Sale is prohibited in Banda Aceh and Papua; 21 elsewhere for both on- and off-premise sale.
Iran Flag
Iranprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Ireland Flag
Ireland181818
Israel Flag
Israel181818
Italy Flag
Italy1818
Jamaica Flag
Jamaica1818
Japan Flag
Japan202020
Jordan Flag
Jordan1818
Kazakhstan Flag
Kazakhstan182121
Kenya Flag
Kenya1818
Kiribati Flag
Kiribati212121
Kuwait Flag
Kuwaitprohibitedprohibited
Kyrgyzstan Flag
Kyrgyzstan1818
Laos Flag
Laos181818
Latvia Flag
Latvia181818
Lebanon Flag
Lebanon1818
Lesotho Flag
Lesotho1818
Liberia Flag
Liberia1818
Libya Flag
Libyaprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Liechtenstein Flag
Liechtensteinvariesvariesvaries18 for spirits and alcopops; 16 for other alcohol beverages
Lithuania Flag
Lithuania181818
Luxembourg Flag
Luxembourg1616
Malawi Flag
Malawi1818
Malaysia Flag
Malaysiavariesvariesvariessale to Muslims is prohibited; 21 otherwise for on- and off-premise
Maldives Flag
Maldivesprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Mali Flag
Mali1818
Malta Flag
Malta171717
Marshall Islands Flag
Marshall Islands212121
Mauritania Flag
Mauritaniaprohibitedprohibited
Mauritius Flag
Mauritius1818
Mexico Flag
Mexico181818
Micronesia Flag
Micronesiavariesvariesvaries21 in states of Pohnpei and Yap; 18 in states of Kosrae and Chuuk
Moldova Flag
Moldova1818
Monaco Flag
Monaco1818
Mongolia Flag
Mongolia212121
Montenegro Flag
Montenegro1818
Morocco Flag
Moroccovariesvariesvariessale to Muslims is prohibited; 16 for non-Muslims
Mozambique Flag
Mozambique181818
Myanmar Flag
Myanmar1818
Namibia Flag
Namibia181818
Nauru Flag
Nauru212121
Nepal Flag
Nepal1818
Netherlands Flag
Netherlands181818
New Zealand Flag
New Zealand1818
Nicaragua Flag
Nicaragua1818
Niger Flag
Niger1818
Nigeria Flag
NigeriavariesvariesvariesPurchase age of 18 in Abuja, Prohibited in Borno state
Niue Flag
Niue1818
North Korea Flag
North Korea1818
North Macedonia Flag
North Macedonia1818
Norway Flag
Norwayvariesvariesvaries18 for beverages of 0.7-22%ABV, 20 for beverages of 22%ABV and above
Oman Flag
Oman1818
Pakistan Flag
Pakistanprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Palau Flag
Palau212121
Panama Flag
Panama1818
Papua New Guinea Flag
Papua New Guineavariesvariesvaries18 for beverages of 0-7.3%ABV and above 37%ABV; none for others
Paraguay Flag
Paraguay2020
Peru Flag
Peru1818
Philippines Flag
Philippines1818
Poland Flag
Poland1818
Portugal Flag
Portugal1818
Qatar Flag
Qatarprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Republic of the Congo Flag
Republic of the Congo1818
Romania Flag
Romania1818
Russia Flag
Russia161818
Rwanda Flag
Rwanda1818
Saint Kitts and Nevis Flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis1616
Saint Lucia Flag
Saint Lucia16
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines16
Samoa Flag
Samoa2121
San Marino Flag
San Marino1616
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabiaprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Senegal Flag
Senegal1818
Serbia Flag
Serbia1818
Seychelles Flag
Seychelles1818
Singapore Flag
Singapore1818
Slovakia Flag
Slovakia181818
Slovenia Flag
Slovenia1818
Solomon Islands Flag
Solomon Islands2121
Somalia Flag
Somaliaprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
South Africa Flag
South Africa1818
South Korea Flag
South Korea1919
South Sudan Flag
South Sudan1818
Spain Flag
Spain1818
Sri Lanka Flag
Sri Lanka2121
Sudan Flag
SudanvariesvariesvariesProhibited for Muslims
Suriname Flag
Suriname1818
Sweden Flag
Sweden18
Switzerland Flag
Switzerlandvariesvaries18 for spirits; 16 or 18 for beer and wine depending on the Canton
Taiwan Flag
Taiwan181818
Tajikistan Flag
Tajikistan1818
Tanzania Flag
Tanzania1818
Thailand Flag
Thailand2020
Togo Flag
Togovariesvariesvaries18 for wine, beer, or cider; 20 for other alcohol beverages
Tonga Flag
Tonga1818
Trinidad and Tobago Flag
Trinidad and Tobago1818
Tunisia Flag
TunisiavariesOn-premise: prohibited for Muslims; 18 for others (nightclubs)
Turkey Flag
Turkey1818
Turkmenistan Flag
Turkmenistan2121
Tuvalu Flag
Tuvalu1818
Uganda Flag
Uganda181816 for beer, wine, perry, porter, cider, or native liquor with a meal in a meal-service section of the premises
Ukraine Flag
Ukraine1818
United Arab Emirates Flag
United Arab EmiratesvariesvariesvariesSale, supply, and consumption are prohibited in Sharjah. 21 elsewhere
United Kingdom Flag
United Kingdom1818
United States Flag
United States2121
Uruguay Flag
Uruguay1818
Uzbekistan Flag
Uzbekistan2121
Vanuatu Flag
Vanuatu181818
Venezuela Flag
Venezuela1818
Vietnam Flag
Vietnam181818
Yemen Flag
Yemenprohibitedprohibitedprohibited
Zambia Flag
ZambiavariesvariesvariesOn premise: 16 for traditional beer; 18 for other beverages Off-premise: 16 for traditional beer; 14 for other beverages
Zimbabwe Flag
Zimbabwe1818
  • All data current as of 2024
  • Age requirements are divided into beer, wine, or spirits and off-premise or on-premise sales. For countries whose age requirements vary, differences are noted in the Additional Drinking Age Details column.
  • On-premise sales = Alcohol is consumed on-site, such as in bars, restaurants, hotels, & nightclubs
  • Off-premise sales = Alcohol is consumed off-site, such as in supermarkets, off-licenses, shops, online-stores