Which Country Drinks The Most Beer Worldwide?

Even if people believe some myths about beer, it's enjoyed around the world. But where is it drunk the most? Depending on how you answer the question — total volume or per capita — you get answers that are either wildly unsurprising or wildly surprising. The Czech Republic's consumption per capita isn't just first in the world, but it's first by a surprisingly wide margin.

Beer is ubiquitous; there are hundreds of kinds of beer around the globe. You can make it with barley, with rice, with wheat, even with oats or corn, and flavor it with everything under the sun — you're only limited by your imagination.

The progenitor to beer was created in China around 7,000 B.C. Even though the modern form didn't appear until around 3,500 B.C., in Mesopotamia, that's still 5,500 years it's been in existence. Beer's endless possibilities mean it makes sense that it's drunk pretty much everywhere.

As for which countries consume the most brew, the leader in the per capita category is a small country in Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic consumes an average of 184 liters of beer per capita; second place is Austria at less than 100 liters. 

Almost all of the top 10 list of beer-consuming countries per capita are located in Eastern or Central Europe. Estonia, Romania, Poland, Germany, Croatia, and Lithuania all make appearances on the list, as does Spain (only of only two countries to appear on both the total volume and the per capita lists, along with Germany). The lone outlier in per capita beer consumption here is Namibia, in 9th place at 85.7 liters per capita.

Regardless of who consumes the most beer, it's important to highlight the drink's global nature. Whether you're drinking it or cooking with beer, it's here to stay, regardless of what country you call home.

The country that consumes the most beer in the world by volume shouldn't be a surprise; it's China by a mile. The nation consumes more than 20% of the world's share of beer per year. Maybe you wouldn't think of China as a beer-drinking country, but you should — especially because several Chinese brands, including Tsingtao, have been appearing in America for decades now. 

Even if China weren't as devoted to beer, considering its population is 1.4 billion people, it wouldn't take much to push it over the top. India, the world's other most populous country, also at around 1.4 billion, isn't anywhere on the list, getting beaten out by countries including Spain, Japan, and Vietnam.

You can get your American flags out now, though, because right behind China at #2 in total consumption is the United States. At a 13% market share and 24,000 kiloliters of consumption per year, the U.S. is ahead of China on a per capita basis. It's still not #1 in per capita, though — that distinction goes to the Czech Republic.