South Sudan is the ‘drunkest’ country on the African continent but still falls well short as an international contender for the most inebriated country.
According to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) South Sudan consumed 11.0 litres of pure alcohol in 2016, tipping them as the African country who consumes the most alcohol per capita.
On the Africa spectrum, Gabon came in second with 10.9 and in third Namibia with 10.8.
Africa’s most sober country is a small island on the eastern coast of Africa called Comoros where they consume 0.2 litres of pure alcohol per capita.
Internationally, Canadians drink more than their American counterparts and keep par with most European countries. While Ireland with 11.9 managed to top the U.K with 11.6, both enjoy their beer.
However, it is the European countries that are setting the drinking pace, with Belarus taking the drinking crown at 17.5 followed by the Republic of Moldova at 16.8 and Lithuania consuming 15.4 litres per capita.
The vodka drinking Russians maintain their status quo as one of the most plastered countries in the world, consuming 15.1 litres of pure alcohol.
South South as a drinking country does not feature in the top 20 of the world’s most committed drinking countries.
The highest consumption levels according to WHO are found in the developed countries with the lowest found in the South-East Asia Region, and more significantly the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which include countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Syria.
On average every person in the world aged 15 years and older drink 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year. According to the report less than half of the world’s population actually drinks alcohol, therefore those who do indulge, consume on average 17 litres of pure alcohol annually.
With those who do enjoy an alcoholic beverage, the report has found that spirits are the most popular drink type which accounts for 50.1 percent of all recorded alcohol in the world.
Thereafter, beer is the second favourite globally which accounts for 34.8% of alcohol consumed. South Sudan fits into this trend with beer being the most popular drink in the country, followed by wine, other and least enjoyed, spirits.
Only 8.0% of total recorded alcohol is consumed in the form of wine.