Iceland vs South Africa: Spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption
Iceland
16.2%
in 2019
South Africa
16.1%
in 2019
Iceland rank
131st
South Africa rank
132nd
Spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption over time
- Iceland
- South Africa
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 16.2% against 16.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Iceland ahead.
Iceland ranks 131st and South Africa ranks 132nd of 185 countries.
Iceland has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.5% | 17.8% | 4.6% | Iceland |
| 2010s | 16.5% | 16.2% | 0.3% | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption, Iceland or South Africa?
- Iceland, at 16.2% against 16.1% in South Africa as of 2019.
- What is the difference in spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption between Iceland and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2019.
- How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption?
- Iceland ranks 131st and South Africa ranks 132nd of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Spirits as a share of total alcohol consumption by adults aged over 15, as measured in terms of litres of pure alcohol.