Namibians among biggest boozers in Africa
ELLANIE SMIT
There is no doubt that Namibians love their beer.
And according to the World Health Organisation, Namibians are among the heaviest alcohol users on the continent. Namibia ranks fifth in Africa and 52nd globally out of 186 surveyed nations.
Beer remains the drink of choice in the Land of the Brave.
The data was compiled from the WHO recorded alcohol per capita consumption table, which tracked the hardest-drinking countries from 2000 to 2016. It indicates that Namibians consume an average 7.84 litres of alcohol per person per year.
In Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Gabon, Nigeria and Angola are the only countries that outrank Namibia when it comes to alcohol consumption.
This is according to a map compiled by data journalist Matt Stiles, who used each country’s production, import, export and sales of alcohol and its mid-year population (age 15 and older) in 2011.
According to the available statistics, the total consumption of alcohol per person increased from 5.73 to 7.84 litres between 2000 and 2011.
During that same period Namibians consumed less wine, with the consumption dropping from 0.88 to 0.06 litres per person.
Beer consumption, on the other hand, increased from 3.60 to 7.30 litres and consumption of spirits increased from 0.21 to 0.80 litres per person.
Based on a previous WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health in 2011, Namibia was ranked fifth on the African continent in terms of annual alcohol consumption, with the average Namibian consuming 9.62 litres of alcohol per year.
Africa’s alcohol consumption was at that time topped by Nigeria at 12.28 litres per person per year, Uganda at number two at 11.93 litres per person, Rwanda at number three at 9.8 litres per person and Sierra Leone at number four at 9.72 litres per person per year.
According to the latest report Namibia has a wide breakdown of favourite drinks, but beer accounts for 67% of alcohol consumption. Spirits make up 20%, wine makes up 7% and “others” are at 6%.
According to the data, Belarusians are the heaviest drinkers in the world with a per capita consumption of 17.3 litres of alcohol annually, while North Africans barely touch a drop.
European countries are particularly heavy drinkers when compared to world averages. Lithuania placed second globally and consumes 12.66 litres per person a year, followed by the Czech Republic, Croatia and Austria.
In fact, the top ten countries were all European. The UK ranked 18th for total alcohol consumed, with a per capita consumption of 3.65 litres of beer, 2.17 litres of spirits and 3.95 litres of wine.
Afghanistan, Mauritania, Kuwait, Libya, Somalia and Bangladesh were at the bottom of the rankings.
There is no doubt that Namibians love their beer.
And according to the World Health Organisation, Namibians are among the heaviest alcohol users on the continent. Namibia ranks fifth in Africa and 52nd globally out of 186 surveyed nations.
Beer remains the drink of choice in the Land of the Brave.
The data was compiled from the WHO recorded alcohol per capita consumption table, which tracked the hardest-drinking countries from 2000 to 2016. It indicates that Namibians consume an average 7.84 litres of alcohol per person per year.
In Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Gabon, Nigeria and Angola are the only countries that outrank Namibia when it comes to alcohol consumption.
This is according to a map compiled by data journalist Matt Stiles, who used each country’s production, import, export and sales of alcohol and its mid-year population (age 15 and older) in 2011.
According to the available statistics, the total consumption of alcohol per person increased from 5.73 to 7.84 litres between 2000 and 2011.
During that same period Namibians consumed less wine, with the consumption dropping from 0.88 to 0.06 litres per person.
Beer consumption, on the other hand, increased from 3.60 to 7.30 litres and consumption of spirits increased from 0.21 to 0.80 litres per person.
Based on a previous WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health in 2011, Namibia was ranked fifth on the African continent in terms of annual alcohol consumption, with the average Namibian consuming 9.62 litres of alcohol per year.
Africa’s alcohol consumption was at that time topped by Nigeria at 12.28 litres per person per year, Uganda at number two at 11.93 litres per person, Rwanda at number three at 9.8 litres per person and Sierra Leone at number four at 9.72 litres per person per year.
According to the latest report Namibia has a wide breakdown of favourite drinks, but beer accounts for 67% of alcohol consumption. Spirits make up 20%, wine makes up 7% and “others” are at 6%.
According to the data, Belarusians are the heaviest drinkers in the world with a per capita consumption of 17.3 litres of alcohol annually, while North Africans barely touch a drop.
European countries are particularly heavy drinkers when compared to world averages. Lithuania placed second globally and consumes 12.66 litres per person a year, followed by the Czech Republic, Croatia and Austria.
In fact, the top ten countries were all European. The UK ranked 18th for total alcohol consumed, with a per capita consumption of 3.65 litres of beer, 2.17 litres of spirits and 3.95 litres of wine.
Afghanistan, Mauritania, Kuwait, Libya, Somalia and Bangladesh were at the bottom of the rankings.
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