While alcohol may be a common thread in societies worldwide, weaving through celebrations and social gatherings, its consumption by 2.3 billion people carries a sobering price tag of 2.6 million global deaths annually and profound personal and economic consequences that we all share.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, 2.3 billion people worldwide were current drinkers of alcohol, representing 43% of the global population aged 15 years and older
- Globally, harmful use of alcohol resulted in 2.6 million deaths in 2019, or 4.7% of all deaths
- In 2019, 400 million women (13%) and 1.9 billion men (30%) were current drinkers aged 15 years and older
- In 2019, alcohol-attributable cancers caused 741,300 deaths globally, 4.1% of all cancers
- Alcohol consumption is linked to 7 types of cancer including breast, colorectal, liver, and oral
- Heavy drinking increases risk of liver cirrhosis by up to 10-fold
- Excessive alcohol use costs the U.S. $249 billion annually in 2010, mostly lost productivity
- Alcohol-related healthcare costs in the U.S. were $28 billion in 2010
- Global economic cost of alcohol is 2.6% of GDP in high-income countries
- In the U.S., men aged 25-34 have highest AUD prevalence at 15.5% in 2021
- Women’s alcohol use increased 84% during COVID-19 compared to 15% for men
- Native Americans/Alaska Natives have highest past-month binge rate at 30.7%
- Tax increases reduce youth drinking by 18% per 10% price hike
- Minimum legal drinking age 21 in U.S. reduces crash deaths 13%
- WHO recommends reducing availability via licensing cuts consumption 10%
Alcohol is widely consumed but causes significant global harm and high costs.
Demographics
- In the U.S., men aged 25-34 have highest AUD prevalence at 15.5% in 2021
- Women’s alcohol use increased 84% during COVID-19 compared to 15% for men
- Native Americans/Alaska Natives have highest past-month binge rate at 30.7%
- College students binge drink at 33% rate vs 23% non-students same age
- Rural U.S. adults binge more (25.3%) than urban (22.9%)
- Among U.S. adults, 18-25 year olds have 11.3% AUD prevalence
- Low-income groups (<$25k) have 1.5x higher heavy drinking rates
- LGBTQ+ youth report 54% higher alcohol use than peers
- Hispanic adults have 24.2% past-year binge rate in U.S.
- Retired/senior women over 65 binge at 11%, higher than expected
- In WHO Africa Region, men’s current drinking prevalence is 42% vs 24% women
- U.S. military veterans have 14% AUD rate vs 6% civilians
- Unemployed U.S. adults have 1.8x higher binge rates
- Asian Americans lowest binge rate at 13.4%
- Pregnant women drinking: 13.7% in U.S. per NSDUH 2021
- Divorced/widowed adults binge 1.4x more than married
- In Europe, highest consumption in Eastern countries among youth
- U.S. Black adults have 23.1% past-month drinking rate
- Less educated (high school or less) have higher AUD
- Young women 18-25 binge at 26% rate in U.S.
- Global gender gap: men 2-3x more likely to have AUD
- Farmers/ranchers have elevated alcohol misuse rates
- In Australia, Indigenous populations have 3x higher risky drinking
- U.S. adults with disabilities binge 27% vs 23% without
- Urban poor neighborhoods show 20% higher consumption
- Elderly men 65+ in U.S. have 12% heavy drinking rate
Demographics Interpretation
This statistical chorus sings a sad but predictable song: our most vulnerable populations—whether by youth, stress, poverty, trauma, or isolation—are consistently handed the heaviest bottle.
Economic Costs
- Excessive alcohol use costs the U.S. $249 billion annually in 2010, mostly lost productivity
- Alcohol-related healthcare costs in the U.S. were $28 billion in 2010
- Global economic cost of alcohol is 2.6% of GDP in high-income countries
- In the UK, alcohol harm costs £27.4 billion yearly, including £12.5B to health
- U.S. motor vehicle crash costs from alcohol: $88.8 billion in 2010
- Workplace productivity losses from alcohol: $161 billion annually in U.S.
- Criminal justice costs for alcohol in U.S.: $25.9 billion per year
- Australia’s alcohol-related costs: AUD 66.8 billion in 2017-18, 3.1% GDP
- In Europe, alcohol costs €155 billion yearly
- U.S. underage drinking costs $245.6 billion over lifetime of each cohort
- Canada’s alcohol costs: CAD 14.6 billion in 2017
- Lost productivity from premature deaths: $72.8 billion in U.S. 2010
- Alcohol-related absenteeism costs U.S. employers $15 billion yearly
- In India, economic burden of alcohol is INR 1.45 trillion annually
- Germany’s alcohol costs: €41.9 billion in 2018
- Binge drinking costs U.S. $170 billion yearly
- Treatment costs for AUD in U.S.: $42 billion annually
- Property damage from alcohol-related crime: $37 billion in U.S.
- Global productivity loss from alcohol: 1.37% of GDP
- South Africa’s alcohol economic cost: 2.3% GDP
- France alcohol costs: €35.8 billion in 2019
- Fire losses from alcohol impairment: $466 million yearly in U.S.
- In 18 high-income countries, alcohol costs average 2.6% GDP
- U.S. youth binge drinking costs $155.5 billion lifetime
- Excessive alcohol responsible for 72,000 preventable deaths and $249B costs yearly U.S.
Economic Costs Interpretation
That's quite a tab, proving that while the drinks are on you, the real bill for lost lives, productivity, and safety lands squarely on society.
Health Impacts
- In 2019, alcohol-attributable cancers caused 741,300 deaths globally, 4.1% of all cancers
- Alcohol consumption is linked to 7 types of cancer including breast, colorectal, liver, and oral
- Heavy drinking increases risk of liver cirrhosis by up to 10-fold
- In 2019, 1.6 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases were attributable to alcohol
- Alcohol use during pregnancy causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in up to 5% of U.S. first graders
- Binge drinking raises stroke risk by 50% in young adults
- Chronic heavy drinking leads to cardiomyopathy in 20-30% of cases
- Alcohol contributes to 5.3% of all global cancers
- In 2019, 207,500 deaths from digestive diseases were alcohol-attributable
- Excessive alcohol use shortens life expectancy by 24-28 years in severe AUD cases
- Alcohol is responsible for 13% of deaths among 20-39 year olds globally
- Hangovers affect 75% of drinkers, leading to productivity loss
- Alcohol weakens immune system, increasing pneumonia risk by 40%
- Breast cancer risk increases by 7-10% for every 10g daily alcohol intake
- Alcohol causes 95,000 deaths annually in the U.S.
- Liver disease from alcohol kills 140,000 Americans yearly
- Pancreatitis risk is 5 times higher in heavy drinkers
- Alcohol-related brain damage affects memory and cognition in 50-70% of chronic users
- In 2021, U.S. alcohol-induced deaths reached 49,060, up 29.3% from 2016
- Alcohol increases hypertension risk by 20-30%
- Fetal alcohol exposure leads to lifelong neurodevelopmental issues in 1 in 20 U.S. children
- Alcohol contributes to 18% of global injuries
- Osteoporosis risk doubles in women with heavy alcohol use
- Alcohol misuse linked to 50% increase in depression risk
- In 2019, 724,000 deaths from injuries were alcohol-attributable
Health Impacts Interpretation
It seems humanity has discovered a remarkably efficient, socially lubricated Swiss Army knife of self-destruction, neatly packaged in bottles that manage to simultaneously pickle our livers, hearts, brains, and futures while convincing us we're just having a good time.
Policy
- Tax increases reduce youth drinking by 18% per 10% price hike
- Minimum legal drinking age 21 in U.S. reduces crash deaths 13%
- WHO recommends reducing availability via licensing cuts consumption 10%
- Brief interventions reduce heavy drinking by 20-30% short-term
- Warning labels on alcohol reduce consumption intentions by 10%
- School-based prevention programs cut alcohol initiation by 25%
- Drink-driving laws with checkpoints reduce fatalities 10-20%
- Bans on alcohol advertising lower youth consumption 13%
- Raising alcohol taxes by 10% cuts consumption 7% in high-income countries
- Screening and counseling in primary care reduces binge drinking 25%
- Zero-tolerance laws for youth reduce fatal crashes 16%
- Community coalitions reduce youth binge by 25% over 3 years
- Mandatory server training cuts overserving 50%
- WHO Global Strategy targets 10% consumption reduction by 2025
- Sobriety checkpoints reduce alcohol crashes 20%
- Comprehensive tobacco-style policies could save 2.5M lives in Europe
- Mass media campaigns reduce drinking 10% in youth
- Limiting hours of sale reduces violence 16%
- Medication-assisted treatment increases AUD remission 50%
- Dram shop liability laws reduce crashes 6-11%
- National alcohol strategies in 155 countries per WHO SAFER initiative
- Pricing policies like minimum unit pricing cut consumption 9% in Scotland
- Parent-based interventions delay onset by 2 years
- Electronic monitoring ignition interlocks reduce recidivism 67%
Policy Interpretation
The evidence shouts that the most effective cure for the epidemic of alcohol harm isn't found in a pill but in a policy, proving we can legislate our way to a healthier society if we dare to sober up to the data.
Prevalence
- In 2019, 2.3 billion people worldwide were current drinkers of alcohol, representing 43% of the global population aged 15 years and older
- Globally, harmful use of alcohol resulted in 2.6 million deaths in 2019, or 4.7% of all deaths
- In 2019, 400 million women (13%) and 1.9 billion men (30%) were current drinkers aged 15 years and older
- The WHO European Region had the highest proportion of current drinkers at 79.7% in 2019
- Heavy episodic drinking prevalence among current drinkers aged 15+ was 38.8% in the WHO European Region in 2019
- In the United States, 70.1% of adults aged 18 and over reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lifetime as of 2021
- About 25.0% of U.S. adults currently engage in binge drinking, defined as 5+ drinks for men or 4+ for women on one occasion
- In 2021, 14.0 million U.S. adults aged 18 and older had alcohol use disorder (AUD)
- Among U.S. high school students, 29% reported current alcohol use in 2021
- Per capita alcohol consumption among adults aged 15+ was 5.5 litres of pure alcohol globally in 2019
- Beer accounted for 36.7% of total alcohol consumption by volume globally in 2019
- In the Americas, per capita consumption reached 7.8 litres of pure alcohol in 2019 for those 15+
- 209 million people aged 15+ had alcohol use disorders globally in 2019
- Lifetime abstainers among adults 15+ were 43% globally in 2019
- In low-income countries, only 23% of adults 15+ were current drinkers in 2019
- U.S. adults reporting drinking in the past month was 47.2% in 2022
- Among U.S. youth aged 12-20, 5.4 million engaged in binge drinking in 2021
- Global alcohol per capita consumption increased by 20% from 1990 to 2017
- In Europe, average annual consumption is 9.2 litres pure alcohol per adult
- 13.5% of U.S. adults had 5+ drinks on the same occasion at least once in the past year in 2019
- In Australia, 31% of adults drank alcohol at risky levels in 2022-23
- UK adults drinking above low-risk guidelines: 23% in 2022
- In Canada, 77% of adults reported past-year alcohol use in 2019
- South Africa had 33.7% prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among drinkers in 2019
- Japan’s per capita consumption was 7.2 litres pure alcohol in 2019
- In Brazil, 52% of adults were current drinkers in 2019
- Russia reported 11.7 litres per capita pure alcohol consumption in 2019
- India had only 3.2% prevalence of alcohol use disorders in 2019
- Mexico’s heavy episodic drinking rate was 13.5% among current drinkers in 2019
Prevalence Interpretation
While a cheer of "bottoms up" echoes globally, it’s sobering to note that this clinking of glasses conceals a grim tally, as over two million lives are annually poured down the drain by the harmful use of alcohol.
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