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  • Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ (Line chart)
  • Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ (Bar chart)
  • Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ (Map)
  • Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+ (Boxplot chart)
Data set notes
European Health for All database

Indicators: 565
Updated: 18 October 2024

The following abbreviations are used in the indicator titles:
•    SDR: age-standardized death rates (see HFA-DB user manual/Technical notes, page 13, for details)
•    FTE: full-time equivalent
•    PP: physical persons
•    PPP$: purchasing power parities expressed in US $, an internationally comparable scale reflecting the relative domestic purchasing powers of currencies.

Indicator notes
Spirits consumed in pure alcohol, litres per capita, age 15+
Indicator code: E991701.T This indicator shares the definition with the parent indicator \"Pure alcohol consumption, litres per capita, age 15+\".

Source of data:WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository, available from http://apps.who.int/ghodata/; http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/en/index.html



About recorded adult per capita consumption

Indicator name: Recorded adult (15+ years) per capita consumption of pure alcohol

Short name: Recorded APC

Data Type: Rate

Rationale The recorded APC is part of a core set of indictors, whose purpose is to monitor the magnitude, pattern and trends of alcohol consumption in the adult population.

Definition: Recorded APC is defined as the recorded amount of alcohol consumed per adult (15+ years) over a calendar year in a country, in litres of pure alcohol. The indicator only takes into account the consumption which is recorded from production, import, export, and sales data often via taxation. Numerator: The amount of recorded alcohol consumed per adult (15+ years) during a calendar year, in litres of pure alcohol. Denominator: Midyear resident population (15+ years) for the same calendar year, UN World Population Prospects, medium variant.

Associated terms Pure alcohol: 100% ethanol

Preferred data sources: Administrative reporting systems

Other possible data sources: None

Measurement method (at national level): Recorded adult per capita consumption of pure alcohol is calculated as the sum of beverage-specific alcohol consumption of pure alcohol (beer, wine, spirits, other) from different sources. The first priority in the decision tree is given to government statistics; second are country-specific alcohol industry statistics in the public domain (Canadean, IWSR, OIV, Wine Institute, historically World Drink Trends); and third is the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' statistical database (FAOSTAT). For countries, where the data source is FAOSTAT the unrecorded consumption may be included in the recorded consumption. As from the introduction of the \"Other\" beverage-specific category, beer includes malt beers, wine includes wine made from grapes, spirits include all distilled beverages, and other includes one or several other alcoholic beverages, such as fermented beverages made from sorghum, maize, millet, rice, or cider, fruit wine, fortified wine, etc. Also, there has been a change in the data source for some countries in the early 2000's.

Method of estimation In order to make the conversion into litres of pure alcohol, the alcohol content of beer, wine, and spirits is considered to be 5%, 12% and 40% respectively. Specific conversion factors are used for other, less common types of alcoholic beverages. However, since the data sources may use different conversion factors to estimate alcohol content, the beverage-specific recorded APC may not equal the total provided, in some cases.

Method of estimation of regional and global aggregates Adult per capita consumption data exist for almost all countries. Regional and global estimates are calculated as a population weighted average of country data.

Disaggregation By type of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, spirits and other alcoholic beverages)

Unit of measure Litres of pure alcohol per adult (15+ years) per year

Multiplier None

Expected frequency of data dissemination Annual

Expected frequency of data collection Annual

Comments and limitations Factors, such as stockpiling, waste and spillage, as well as cross-border shopping (recorded in different jurisdiction), tax free alcohol, surrogate alcohol and variations in beverage strength, cannot be accounted for. This may influence the accuracy of recorded consumption as an indicator for alcohol consumed. Also, administrative data does not enable the disaggregation of recorded adult per capita by gender - to this end, other data sources such as survey data are needed.



Contact person NHM/MSD/MSB



Note: Other alcohol is currently not reported in the Health for All database._
Country/Area notes
Albania
1962-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1962-1999; merged data
(FAO, Canadean, IWSR) 2000-2007
Andorra
2002-2006 WHO Global Survey on Alcohol and Health 2008, imports - exports 2002-2006
Armenia
1992-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1990-1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR 2000-2007
Austria
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961- 2001; Anton-Proksch Institut 2002-2009
Azerbaijan
1992-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1990-1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Belarus
1980-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1980-1999; merged data (WHO
Global Survey on Alcohol and Health 2008, sales data; OIV for wine) 2000-2007
Belgium
1963-2006: World Drink Trend (WDT) 1963-1999; merged data (WHO Global Survey on Alcohol and Health
2008, sales data; Canadean for cider) 2002-2006
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1990-2008: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1990-2008
Bulgaria
1963-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Croatia
1987-2009: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1987-1999; merged data
Canadean, OIV, IWSR ) 2000-2009
Cyprus
1961-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000- 2007
Czechia
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; Czech Republic Statistical Office 2000-2009
Denmark
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1989; National Research & Development Centre for Welfare &
Health, Statistics Denmark 1990-2009
Estonia
1990-2010: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1990-1999; Statistics Estonia 2000-2010
Finland
1961-2009: National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Finland
1961-2009
France
1961-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1999; merged data (ISEE + OIV for wine) 2000-2007
Georgia
1990-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1990-1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Germany
1991-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1990; DESTATIS 1991-2009
Greece
1963-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Hungary
1961-2008: World Drink Trends (WDT 1961-1999; Hungarian Central Statistical Office 2000-2008
Iceland
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1999; Statistics Iceland 2000-2009
Ireland
1963-2006: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-2001;WHO Global Survey on Alcohol and Health 2008 -
taxation data 2002-2006
Israel
1961-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1961-1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Italy
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1999; Annual Report 2009 (www.assobirra.it) 2000-2009
Kazakhstan
1992-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1992-1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Kyrgyzstan
1985-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1985 -1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Latvia
1980-2008: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1980-2001; Latvia Central Statistical Agency 2000-2008
Lithuania
1984-2010: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1984-2001; Statistics
Lithuania 2002-2010
Luxembourg
1963-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; merged data (FAO, Canadean, OIV) 2000-2007
Malta
1988-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1988-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Montenegro
2005-2009: Merged data (Canadean, Wine Institute, IWSR) 2005-2009
Netherlands
1961-2008: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-2001; WHO Global Health Survey 2008 2002 -2008
North Macedonia
1992-2008: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1992-2008
Norway
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1966; Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research
(SIRUS) 1967-1980; Statistics Norway 1981-2009
Poland
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961- 1999; Poland Central Statistical Office 2002-2009
Portugal
1963-2007: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Republic of Moldova
1990-2010: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1990-2002; Statistical
Yearbook of Moldova (sales data) 2000-2009
Romania
1961-2006: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2001; merged
data (GISAH 2008 Survey + IWSR) 2002-2006
Russian Federation
1963-2008: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1963-1999; GISAH Survey 2008 (sales data from Russia Federal
State Statistical Service) 2000-2008
San Marino
2001-2009: Wine Institute 2001-2009
Serbia
2000-2009: Merged data (Canadean, IWSR) 2000-2009
Slovakia
1961- 2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-2001; SLOVSTAT 2000-2009
Slovenia
1981-2009: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1981-2001; Statistics
Slovenia 2002-2009
Spain
1962-2006: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1962-2001; WHO Global Survey on Alcohol and Health 2008, sales
data 2002-2006
Sweden
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1998; Norwegian Institute for Health & Welfare (STAKES)
1999-2009
Switzerland
1963-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1999; Swiss Federal Office 2000-2009
Tajikistan
1992-2008: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1992-2008
Türkiye
1961-2009: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-1999; merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2009
Turkmenistan
1992-2007: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1992-1999; merged data
(Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
Ukraine
1975, 1980-2007 World Drink Trends (WDT) 1975, 1980-1990; Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) 1991-1999;merged data (Canadean, OIV, IWSR) 2000-2007
United Kingdom
1961-2010: World Drink Trends (WDT) 1961-2001; HR Office of National Statistics 2002-2010.
Uzbekistan
1992-2008: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 1992-2008