Total (recorded+unrecorded) adult (15+ years) per capita consumption in litres of pure alcohol, 2005
Situation and trends
This indicator measures the sum of both recorded and unrecorded adult per capita consumption. Total adult per capita consumption is highest in the developed world, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, and also in Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. Countries of North and sub-Saharan Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, southern Asia and the Indian Ocean have the lowest levels of total alcohol consumption, mainly due to large populations of the Islamic faith, who have high abstention rates. Unrecorded alcohol consumption accounts for nearly 30% of total worldwide adult consumption.