Alcohol consumption vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Alcohol consumption vs. GDP per capita was 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age
Change on year
down 18.7%
World rank
57th
of 185 countries
All-time high
8.96 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age
in 2000
All-time low
7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020
Alcohol consumption vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 2000–2020
Source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age.
Analysis
In 2020, alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita in South Africa stood at 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.7% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 8.96 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 57th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Alcohol consumption vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.96 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | — |
| 2001 | 8.96 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8.79 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 8.72 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 8.7 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 8.75 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 8.81 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 8.83 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 8.78 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 8.67 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 8.68 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 8.79 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 8.9 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 8.92 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 8.93 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 8.88 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 8.8 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 8.72 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 8.77 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 8.77 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -18.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.8 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 8.67 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 8.96 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.82 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 8.68 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 8.93 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 54 Norway 7.38 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 55 Grenada 7.33 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 56 Botswana 7.27 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 58 Malta 7.11 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 59 Italy 6.97 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 60 Mauritius 6.86 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Services, value added (constant LCU), per capita 48,868 constant LCU per person (2025)
- GDP deflator (base year varies by country), annual growth rate 2.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 6.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8998 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 5,937 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 3.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 16.1 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 106,203 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2020, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.96 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2000.
- What is the lowest alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 57th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is alcohol consumption vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Alcohol consumption vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average annual alcohol consumption measured in liters of pure alcohol per person aged 15 years or older. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.