According to a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Brits—contrary to popular belief—are not as big a drinkers as they are said to be.
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The biggest drinking country in the world
Data collected showed that Britons drink on average around 120 bottles of wineand 400 pints every year—consuming less than the French, Germans and Spaniards.
The research shows that each Brit drinks roughly 4.4 pints of beer or 2.3 bottles of wine on average each week placing 16th out of a possible of 44 wealthy nations whose drinking habits were analyzed.
Interestingly, the study found that most other major nations in Europe drink far more than the UK does despite the misconception of having a binge-drinking culture heavily ingrained in its society.
The top spot for the biggest drinking country in the world goes to Latvia, who according to the study, both men and women drink on average 512 pints per year which would come to about 10 pints every week.
Health concerns for UK drinkers
But although the UK might not have taken the number one spot as most would have expected, health experts believe that the average alcohol intake of Brits is still much high.
The OECD's analysis shows that the UK's average of 9.8 litres of consumed pure alcohol per year is slightly higher than the recommended amount which is fixed at 8.7 litres of pure alcohol. A spokesperson for the OECD said:
Alcohol can be a source of enjoyment and is an important part of the economy in many countries. Yet harmful alcohol use is a leading risk factor for premature death, injuries and many noncommunicable diseases.
And added:
Harmful alcohol use can also affect others, for example in the case of violence and foetal alcohol syndrome. These diseases and injuries, in turn, have an impact on healthcare budgets and the productivity of the labour force.
