The British, who for years held the scepter in the highest consumption of alcohol in Europe, were not only displaced by the Latvians but fell several places in the list of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) regarding the countries that had the highest alcohol consumption in the last decade (2010-2020). Greece ranks in the penultimate position of the European list, noting the biggest decrease in alcohol consumption (-32%) apart from the war-torn Ukraine which was last on the list.

The UK ranks in the middle of the list… with Latvia deservingly taking first place, OECD figures show.

Britons consumed 9.7 liters of alcohol per adult in 2020, which is 0.1% less than the EU average. The figure is equivalent to around nine pints a week. The French, over the age of 15, now consumes 10.4 liters of alcohol per year, while the Germans consume 10.6 litres.

In short, according to the OECD report, the UK ranks behind France and Germany.

At the same time, Latvia tops the list of the Organization for Economic Security and Co-operation in terms of weekly alcohol consumption, with 12.1 liters per adult during the year.

As in most EU countries, in Britain, health spending has increased since the Covid pandemic. Although in most countries of old Albion, the rate was much higher on average than that of the country.

This difference is mainly due to the “frightening increase in spending” on Covid tests and ventilators, as the OECD report points out.

Meanwhile, Britain’s National Health System (NHS) has fewer doctors per capita than most countries in Europe,
OECD figures also showed.

The report by the OECD and the European Commission on Health also shows that a comparison was made of the total amount of alcohol sold to people aged 15 and over, across all countries in Europe. It compared the corresponding data from 2010 to 2020, or the data for the nearest year available for each country.

After Latvia, the country that consumed the most alcohol in 2020 was the Czech Republic, where citizens consumed an average of 11.6 liters per year.
They were followed by Lithuania (11.4 liters), Austria(11.3), and Bulgaria (11.2).

The lowest rate is recorded in Turkey – where as a Muslim country, the consumption of alcohol is mostly prohibited. Just 1.2 litres of alcohol per person per year were sold in the neighborhood.

Ukraine saw the biggest decrease in alcohol consumption: from 7.8 liters per person in 2010 to 5.7 liters in 2019. Before Putin’s war began, the decrease reached 37%. In the penultimate position of the list comes our country (32% decrease), the Netherlands (26%), and Spain (26%).

Alcohol consumption fell by 4% in the UK.

Latvia had the biggest increase over the last decade (19%), followed by Malta and Bulgaria (both 13%) as well as Norway (11%).

As the OECD report points out: “Many European countries have implemented a range of measures to reduce alcohol consumption, such as taxation, restrictions on alcohol availability and bans on alcohol advertising… But their effectiveness is hampered by poor implementation of rules and limited resources”.

Britons are being told not to drink more than six beers or 10 small glasses of wine a week. However, the data showed that most citizens drink more.

Americans are advised not to consume more than 14 small cans of beer per week – for men – and seven small glasses of wine for women.

Excessive alcohol consumption over the long term increases the risk of serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and cancer.

For their part, British environmentalists last month called for a “green tax” on alcohol to reduce sales as well as its impact on the ecosystem.

How much has alcohol consumption changed from 2010 to 2020 in Europe

Country – rate of change from 2010 to 2020

Latvia 19
Malta 13
Bulgaria 13
Norway 11
“North Macedonia” 9
Poland 9
Romania 9
Italy 9
Iceland 8
Moldova 7
Czech Republic 2
Sweden 1
Montenegro 0

Slovakia -2
Hungary -4
Britain -4
Slovenia -5
average of “27” in the EU, -6
Austria -7
Luxembourg -8
Estonia -9
Portugal -9
Germany -9
Albania -11
Denmark -11
Croatia -11
Belgium -12
Switzerland -12
Cyprus -18
France -18
Finland -18
Lithuania -18
Serbia -19
Ireland- 22
Turkey- 25
Spain -26
Netherlands- 26
Greece -32
Ukraine -37