South Africa vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Beer consumption per person
Beer consumption per person over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 3.65 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year against 3.54 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.11 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 62 shared years of data; in 1961 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
South Africa ranks 33rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 34th of 187 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6989 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 6.08 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 5.38 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1970s | 1.46 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 7.48 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 6.02 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1980s | 3.3 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 6.55 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.25 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 4.58 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 5.34 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.76 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2000s | 3.82 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 4.74 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.927 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 3.85 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.49 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.364 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | South Africa |
| 2020s | 3.26 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.37 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 0.11 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher beer consumption per person, South Africa or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- South Africa, at 3.65 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year against 3.54 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2022.
- What is the difference in beer consumption per person between South Africa and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.11 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 62 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for beer consumption per person?
- South Africa ranks 33rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 34th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Beer consumption per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Average annual per capita beer consumption, measured in liters of pure alcohol. Beer contains around 5% of pure alcohol per volume so that one liter of beer contains 0.05 liters of pure alcohol. This means that 5 liters of pure alcohol equals 100 liters of beer.