Wine Consumption by Country 2023

Portugal

Portugal has the highest rate of wine consumption by country in the world. Portuguese people drank an incredible 51.9 liters of wine per person in 2020. This equates to roughly a liter per person, per week. Portugal has a strong wine drinking culture, with wine commonly consumed at both lunch and dinner. In addition to its wine drinking culture, Portugal also has a large wine production sector. This means that affordable, high-quality wine is accessible to most Portuguese people.

Italy

Italy is another country known for its wine consumption, so it should come as no surprise that it's on this list. Italians consumed 46.6 liters of wine per person in 2020. As with Portugal, Italians customarily drink wine with both the afternoon meal and the evening meal. Italian cuisine also incorporates wine in many dishes. For example, it is common to include wine in tomato sauce in Italy. Finally, Italy's noteworthy wine production sector means that Italians have easy access to high-quality wines.

France

France is yet another country known for a high level of wine consumption. The rate of wine consumption per person in France was 46 liters per person in 2020. This means that France is neck and neck with Italy for second place on the wine consumption charts. France is globally famous for the quality and diversity of its wine production, and wine has an important place in French cuisine. Much of the wine consumed by French people is included in food sauces rather than beverages.

Switzerland

Many readers, even knowledgeable wine enthusiasts, might be surprised to find Switzerland on this list. Switzerland is the first country on the list that is not a center of wine production, though there are Swiss wines. Swiss people drank a total of 35.7 liters of wine per person in 2020, which means that Switzerland places a distant fourth.

Austria

Austria is another European country that is not traditionally associated with wine production or consumption. However, Austrians consumed 29.9 liters of wine per person in 2020. As with the Swiss, Austrians generally drink wine only with the evening meal.

Australia

Australia has the highest consumption of wine per person outside Europe. Australians drank 27.8 liters of wine per person in 2020. This is not overly surprising, as Australians have a high level of alcohol consumption in general. Australia is not known for its wine, though neighboring New Zealand is famous for producing high-quality wines.