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Legal drinking age around the world

From hard liquor to hard seltzer, alcoholic beverages are an almost ubiquitous part of many modern cultures: wine with dinner, beer with friends on the weekend, celebratory champagne toasts, etc. However, because alcohol is a drug that can significantly affect a person's judgment and physical abilities, many countries age-restrict the consumption of alcoholic beverages.


Effects of alcohol on the body

In chemical terms, alcohol is an organic compound produced when grains, vegetables or fruits are allowed to ferment. Medically, alcohol is classified as a depressant (as opposed to stimulants like caffeine or hallucinogens like psilocybin) with a wide range of physiological effects. Most of these effects involve a reduction or inhibition of physical activity. For example, alcohol inhibits physical motor function and slows reaction time. Consequently, the more one drinks, the slower and more sluggish one becomes.


Similarly, alcohol also inhibits the brain's communication pathways. Therefore, while a drink or two may make a person feel looser and more relaxed, continued consumption can lead to symptoms such as slurred speech, clouded thinking, and poor decision-making.


Excessive drinking can lead to additional complications including vomiting, memory loss, "passing out" drowsiness, and in extreme cases, alcohol poisoning. Finally, long-term excess consumption of alcohol can contribute to serious physiological conditions, including (but not limited to) pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, liver disease, hyperglycemia, cancer, and various neurological disorders.


Minimum age for alcohol consumption around the world


Alcohol consumption varies significantly between countries, as does the legal drinking age. In the United States, one must be at least 21 years of age or older to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages (with very few exceptions in some jurisdictions). Surprisingly, this is one of the highest drinking ages in the world. Just north of the United States is Canada, which has a legal drinking age of 18 to 19, and many other countries have much lower drinking ages.



 In fact, some countries do not have a minimum age for consuming alcohol (although there may be a minimum age for purchasing alcohol)—although most of these countries still have laws about how old one must be to purchase alcoholic beverages. Conversely, in some countries (usually under strict Muslim rule), drinking alcohol is completely prohibited.



Countries where drinking alcohol is illegal:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh - Valid for non-Muslims
  • Brunei Darussalam - Non-Muslim adults may import limited quantities for home use
  • Comoros - Prohibited for Muslims, no restrictions for non-Muslims
  • India — Banned in some states, 18-25 in others
  • Indonesia — Banda Aceh and Papua, 21 prohibited elsewhere
  • Iran
  • Kuwait
  • Libya
  • Maldives — Legal for 18-up tourists
  • Mauritania
  • Morocco - Legal 16-up for non-Muslims
  • Nigeria - Banned in Borno, minimum 18 in Abuja, no limit elsewhere
  • Pakistan — Legal 21-up for non-Muslims
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Somalia
  • the sudan
  • UAE — Banned in Sharjah, 21 everywhere else
  • Yemen
  • Countries where drinking age varies by state/province:
  • Angola — Spending limit 18 in Luanda province, no limit elsewhere
  • India — Banned in some states, 18-25 in others
  • Indonesia — Banda Aceh and Papua, 21 prohibited elsewhere
  • Nigeria - Banned in Borno, minimum 18 in Abuja, no limit elsewhere
  • UAE — Banned in Sharjah, 21 everywhere else
  • Countries where the drinking age is 21:
  • Indonesia — Banda Aceh and Papua, 21 prohibited elsewhere
  • Kiribati
  • Marshall Islands
  • Micronesia
  • Mongolia - 18 if accompanied by parents
  • nauru
  • oman
  • Pakistan — but forbidden to Muslims
  • Palau
  • Qatar — Residents can only eat at home, tourists only at select locations
  • Samoa
  • Solomon Islands
  • UAE — Banned in Sharjah, 21 everywhere else
  • United States — 18 in many states when at home or with parents
  • Countries where the drinking age is 20 years:
  • Finland - 20 for spirits, 18 for wine and beer
  • Japan
  • Countries where the drinking age is 18:
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Australia
  • Austria - 18 for spirits, 16 for wine and beer
  • Cabo Verde/Cape Verde
  • chile
  • Columbia
  • Costa Rica
  • Cyprus
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Estonia
  • Finland - 18 for wine and beer, 20 for spirits
  • Greece
  • Guatemala
  • Ireland — Low if at home or with parents
  • Israel
  • Kazakhstan
  • Latvia
  • Lesotho
  • Liechtenstein - 18 for spirits and alcopops/coolers, 16 for beer and other drinks
  • Madagascar
  • Mexico
  • Mozambique
  • The Netherlands
  • North Korea
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda — Reduced to 16 for certain beverages consumed with restaurant meals
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam
  • Zambia
  • Countries where the drinking age is 17:
  • Brunei Darussalam - Non-Muslims can drink at age 17 with restrictions
  • Malta
  • Countries where the drinking age is 16:
  • Austria - 16 for wine and beer, 18 for spirits
  • Liechtenstein - 16 for beer and most drinks, 18 for spirits and alcopops/coolers
  • LITHUANIA — Although Kenner is 20 years old
  • Morocco - for non-Muslims only. Still forbidden for Muslims
  • Russia - although the age of purchase is 18
  • Uganda — 16 for certain drinks consumed with restaurant meals, 18 otherwise
  • Countries that do not have a legal age limit for alcohol consumption:
  • Algeria — Buying age is 18
  • Angola — Buying age is 18, spending limit in Luanda province is 18
  • Antigua and Barbuda - Buying age is 18 on-premise, no minimum off-premise
  • Argentina — Buying age is 18
  • Armenia — Buying age is 18
  • Azerbaijan — Buying age is 18
  • Bahamas - Buying age is 18
  • Barbados - Buying age 16 on-premise, no minimum off-premise
  • Belarus — Buying age is 18
  • Belgium — Buying age 16 for beer and wine, 18 for spirits
  • Belize — Buying age is 18
  • Benin — Kenner is 20 years old
  • Bhutan — Buying age is 18
  • Bolivia — Buying age is 18
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina — Buying age is 18
  • Botswana — Buying age is 18
  • Brazil — Buying age is 18
  • Bulgaria — Buying age is 18
  • Burkina Faso - Buying age is 13 for males, 16 for females
  • Burundi — Buying age is 18 unless accompanied by a parent
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon — Buying age 18 on-premise, 21 off-premise
  • Canada - Buying age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, 19 elsewhere
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad - Age 18 to purchase unless accompanied by an adult
  • China — Buying age is 18
  • Congo (Dem. Republic) — Kenner is 18
  • Congo (Republic of) — Buying age 16 on-premise, 18 off-premise
  • Comoros - No restrictions for non-Muslims, prohibited for Muslims
  • Croatia — Buying age is 18
  • Cuba - Buying age is 16
  • Czech Republic — Buying age is 18
  • Denmark — purchase age 18 (16 for off-premise wine and beer)
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica — Kenner is 16
  • Dominican Republic — Buying age is 18
  • Ecuador — Buying age is 18
  • Egypt — Kenner is 21
  • El Salvador — Buying age is 18
  • Eritrea — Buying age is 25
  • Eswatini — Buying age 18
  • Ethiopia - Kenner is 21 years old
  • Fiji — Buying age is 18
  • France — Buying age is 18
  • Gabon — Purchase age is 18 for on-site, no minimum for off-site
  • Gambia — Buying age is 18
  • Georgia — Kenner is 18
  • Germany - 16 for beer and wine (14 if accompanied by parent or guardian), 18 for spirits
  • Ghana — Buying age is 18
  • Grenada — Purchase age is 16 for on-site, no minimum for off-site
  • the guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana - Buying age for on-premise beer and wine is 16, otherwise 18
  • Haiti
  • Honduras — Buying age is 18
  • Hungary — Buying age is 18
  • Iceland - Kenner is 20 years old
  • Italy — Buying age is 18
  • Jamaica — Kenner is 18
  • Jordan — Kenner is 18
  • Kenya — Kenner is 18
  • Kyrgyzstan — Buying age is 18
  • Laos — Buying age is 18
  • Lebanon — Buying age is 18
  • Liberia - Buying age is 18
  • Luxembourg — Buying age is 16
  • Malawi — Buying age is 18
  • Malaysia — Kenner is 21 years old
  • Mali — Buying age for beer and wine is 15, no minimum for spirits
  • Mauritius — Buying age is 18
  • Moldova — Buying age is 18
  • Monaco — Kenner is 18
  • Montenegro — Buying age is 18
  • Myanmar — Buying age is 18
  • Namibia — Buying age is 18
  • Nepal — Kenner is 21
  • New Zealand — Buying age is 18
  • Nicaragua — Buying age is 18
  • Niger — Kenner is 18
  • Nigeria - Not least except Abuja (18) and Borno (banned).
  • North Macedonia — Buying age is 18
  • Norway — Buying age is 18 for beer and wine, 20 for spirits
  • Panama — Buying age is 18
  • Paraguay - Buying age is 20
  • Peru — Buying age is 18
  • Philippines - Buying age is 18
  • Poland — Buying age is 18
  • Rwanda - Age 18 to buy
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis — Purchase age 18
  • Saint Lucia — Kenner is 16
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — Buying age 18
  • SAN MARINO — Kenner is 16
  • Senegal — Buying age is 18
  • Seychelles — Kenner is 18
  • Sierra Leone — Buying age is 18
  • Singapore — Kenner is 18
  • Slovenia — Buying age is 18
  • South Africa — Buying age is 18
  • South Korea — Buying age is 19
  • South Sudan — Buying age is 18
  • Spain — Buying age is 18
  • Sri Lanka — Kenner is 21
  • Suriname — Buying age is 18
  • Sweden - Age to buy off-premise wine and spirits is 20, otherwise 18
  • Switzerland — Buying age is 16 for beer and wine, 18 for spirits
  • Syria — Buy ​​age 18
  • Tajikistan — Buying age is 18
  • Thailand - Age 20 to buy
  • Timor Leste
  • Togo — Buying age for on-premise is 18, not minimum for on-premise
  • Tonga — Buying age is 18
  • Trinidad and Tobago — Buying age is 18
  • Tunisia — Buying age is 18
  • Türkiye - Buying age is 18
  • Turkmenistan — Buying age is 18
  • Ukraine — Buying age is 18
  • United Kingdom - Age 16 to purchase beer/wine/cider onsite when dining with an adult, otherwise 18
  • Uruguay — Buying age is 18
  • Uzbekistan — Buying age is 20
  • Venezuela — Buying age is 18
  • Zimbabwe — Buying age 18 (under parental permission)
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