The global alcohol market generates over $1.7 trillion in revenue annually. Yet in 2019, 2.3 billion people worldwide did not drink alcohol at all. This article details global consumption levels, health burdens, and key market trends.
Key Takeaways
- 2.3 billion people worldwide did not drink alcohol in 2019
- 0.5% of global health burden (DALYs) in 2019 was attributable to alcohol use
- 2019: Alcohol use accounted for 78.3 million years lived with disability (YLDs) globally
- 2022: 25.6% of US adults reported binge drinking in the past month among those reporting any alcohol use
- 2023: Global alcohol market revenue reached $1.74 trillion (latest estimate)
- 2023: Global beer market value reached $625.5 billion
- 2023: Global wine market value was $366.0 billion
- 2023: Global alcohol trade volume (exports) reached 6.5 billion liters of pure alcohol equivalent
- 2019: Alcohol excise taxes represented 45% of retail price for spirits in the UK (typical example cited by OECD)
- 2023: Australia (Tasmania) set minimum alcohol price (MUP) at AUD 1.10 per standard drink
- 2022: 12% of adults in the EU reported heavy episodic drinking in the past month (Eurobarometer)
- 2018–2020: In Australia, 9.1% of people aged 14+ were risky/high-risk drinkers (ABS/AIHW survey results)
- 2018–2020: In Australia, 4.9% of people aged 14+ were dependent on alcohol or at risk of dependence
- 2023: The global no-and-low-alcohol beverages market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2028
- 2023: The global hard seltzer market reached $4.0 billion (estimate)
In 2019 alcohol drove 78.3 million global disability years, despite 2.3 billion people not drinking.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Consumption2 stats
01
2.3 billion people worldwide did not drink alcohol in 2019https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol
02
0.5% of global health burden (DALYs) in 2019 was attributable to alcohol usehttps://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Interpretation
Global Consumption Interpretation
In the global consumption picture, 2.3 billion people worldwide did not drink alcohol in 2019, yet alcohol still accounted for 0.5% of the global health burden in DALYs that year.
02 · Category
Global Health Burden1 stats
01
2019: Alcohol use accounted for 78.3 million years lived with disability (YLDs) globallyhttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01422-0/fulltext
Interpretation
Global Health Burden Interpretation
In 2019, alcohol use drove 78.3 million years lived with disability worldwide, underscoring that it remains a major global health burden.
03 · Category
Consumption Levels1 stats
01
2022: 25.6% of US adults reported binge drinking in the past month among those reporting any alcohol usehttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt36521/2022-NSDUH-Model-Estimates.pdf
Interpretation
Consumption Levels Interpretation
In the consumption levels category, 25.6% of US adults who reported any alcohol use said they binge drank in the past month in 2022, showing that roughly one in four alcohol-consuming adults reaches binge drinking levels.
04 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
2023: Global alcohol market revenue reached $1.74 trillion (latest estimate)https://www.statista.com/statistics/251910/global-alcoholic-beverages-market-revenue/
02
2023: Global beer market value reached $625.5 billionhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/263960/market-volume-of-beer-worldwide/
03
2023: Global wine market value was $366.0 billionhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/255446/wine-market-value-worldwide/
04
2023: Global spirits market value was $538.7 billionhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/267276/spirits-market-value-worldwide/
05
2023: Global non-alcoholic beer market value reached $36.5 billionhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/1121508/global-non-alcoholic-beer-market-value/
06
2024: The global alcoholic beverages market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% during 2024–2032https://www.imarcgroup.com/alcoholic-beverages-market
07
2022: US beer sales were $104.9 billionhttps://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics-and-data/beer-sales/
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, global alcohol market revenue is estimated at $1.74 trillion in 2023 with beer at $625.5 billion and spirits at $538.7 billion, and the market is still expected to expand steadily with a 3.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2032.
05 · Category
Trade And Policies3 stats
01
2023: Global alcohol trade volume (exports) reached 6.5 billion liters of pure alcohol equivalenthttps://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditctab2023d1_en.pdf
02
2019: Alcohol excise taxes represented 45% of retail price for spirits in the UK (typical example cited by OECD)https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/using-excise-taxation-to-reduce-the-consumption-of-alcohol.pdf
03
2023: Australia (Tasmania) set minimum alcohol price (MUP) at AUD 1.10 per standard drinkhttps://www.health.tas.gov.au/publications/policy/minimum-unit-pricing-alcohol
Interpretation
Trade And Policies Interpretation
Under the Trade And Policies lens, global alcohol exports reached 6.5 billion liters of pure alcohol equivalent in 2023 while governments continue to shape retail pricing with measures like 45% spirits excise taxes in the UK and Australia’s Tasmania minimum alcohol price of AUD 1.10 per standard drink in 2023.
More related reading
06 · Category
Survey And Demographics4 stats
01
2022: 12% of adults in the EU reported heavy episodic drinking in the past month (Eurobarometer)https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2246
02
2018–2020: In Australia, 9.1% of people aged 14+ were risky/high-risk drinkers (ABS/AIHW survey results)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-risk-and-harm/contents/risky-and-high-risk-drinking
03
2018–2020: In Australia, 4.9% of people aged 14+ were dependent on alcohol or at risk of dependencehttps://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-risk-and-harm/contents/alcohol-dependence
04
2022: In South Korea, 23.2% of adults reported binge drinking in the past month (KCDC survey)https://www.khealth.or.kr/eng/statistics
Interpretation
Survey And Demographics Interpretation
Across survey and demographic snapshots, binge or heavy drinking appears to affect a sizable minority of adults, from 12% in the EU reporting heavy episodic drinking in 2022 to as high as 23.2% in South Korea in 2022, while Australia’s 2018–2020 data also show 9.1% risky drinkers and 4.9% at risk of dependence.
07 · Category
Trends And Substitution3 stats
01
2023: The global no-and-low-alcohol beverages market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2028https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/no-alcohol-beverages-market-10255
02
2023: The global hard seltzer market reached $4.0 billion (estimate)https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/hard-seltzer-market
03
2023: Global tequila market value reached $4.2 billion (estimate)https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/tequila-market-101004
Interpretation
Trends And Substitution Interpretation
From 2023 to 2028 the global no and low alcohol beverages market is projected to grow at an 8.7% CAGR while hard seltzer reached $4.0 billion in 2023 and tequila was valued at $4.2 billion, signaling clear substitution toward lower or alternative alcohol formats within the trends and substitution category.
08 · Category
Economic Impact2 stats
01
Alcohol was responsible for 1.6% of DALYs among women in 2019https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01522-8/fulltext
02
Alcohol is estimated to cost Australia $15.5 billion per year (2018–19)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-data-in-australia/contents/summary
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
In the Economic Impact category, Australia’s estimated alcohol cost of $15.5 billion per year in 2018 to 2019 highlights how a condition that also accounted for 1.6% of women’s DALYs in 2019 translates into major, measurable financial burden.
09 · Category
Consumption Patterns1 stats
01
11.6 L of pure alcohol per capita (15+), recorded+unrecorded (2019) in Estoniahttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Alcohol_consumption_statistics
Interpretation
Consumption Patterns Interpretation
In Estonia in 2019, adults 15 and older consumed 11.6 liters of pure alcohol per capita from both recorded and unrecorded sources, highlighting the scale of alcohol consumption patterns within the broader Consumption Patterns category.
10 · Category
Market Dynamics3 stats
01
Global hard seltzer market size reached $4.5 billion in 2024 (estimate)https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/06/10/2897456/0/en/Hard-Seltzer-Market-Size-Share-Revenue-and-Growth-Forecast-Report-2024.html
02
Global tequila market reached $5.0 billion in 2024 (estimate)https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/07/15/2911671/0/en/Tequila-Market-2024-Size-Trends-and-Forecasts-to-2032.html
03
US alcohol industry shipments were $185.0 billion in 2023 (taxable shipments, beverage alcohol)https://www.ttb.gov/statistics
Interpretation
Market Dynamics Interpretation
Market dynamics are shifting as the global hard seltzer market hit an estimated $4.5 billion in 2024 and tequila reached about $5.0 billion, while the broader US beverage alcohol trade posted $185.0 billion in taxable shipments in 2023.
report visual · Comparison
Alcohol’s health burden and prevalence snapshot
Alcohol contributes a measurable share of the global health burden, while large populations still report not drinking and notable shares report binge/heavy episodic drinking in select regions.
2022: 25.6% of US adults reported binge drinking in the past month among those reporting any alcohol use25.6%
2022: 12% of adults in the EU reported heavy episodic drinking in the past month (Eurobarometer)
12%
2.3 billion people worldwide did not drink alcohol in 2019
2.3
0.5% of global health burden (DALYs) in 2019 was attributable to alcohol use
0.5%
source-verifiedvizhub.healthdata.org · who.int · samhsa.gov · europa.eu2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Alcohol Consumption Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/alcohol-consumption-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Alcohol Consumption Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/alcohol-consumption-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Alcohol Consumption Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/alcohol-consumption-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)