Today, Czechia officially recognizes beer culture as part of its national heritage, with 96% brewed domestically.
What’s more, Czechs hold the world’s highest per capita beer consumption, a tradition dating back to 993.
Similarly, Germany and Belgium also recognize beer culture as official heritage and rank among the top beer-drinking nations, thanks to its enduring place in their national cultures.
This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows the countries that consume the most beer per capita, based on data from Kirin Holdings.
Czechia Ranks First in Per Capita Beer Consumption
For the 31st year in a row, Czechia tops the list, even amid an annual decline.
Notably, the original Budweiser traces its roots in the country, where beer from the South Bohemian region is called “Budweiser”. In 1876, a German immigrant in the U.S. adopted the name for his brewery, paying homage to the traditional Czech style.
Below, we show the top 35 countries with the highest beer consumption per capita:
Ranking in second is Austria, where pale lagers, known as “Märzen” are the standard beer.
Meanwhile, Lithuania and Ireland follow closely behind, where the average person drinks over 100 liters of beer in a year. In Ireland, Guinness is widely considered the national beer, with the original St. James Gate brewery now over 260 years old.
Interestingly, however, both the UK and Nigeria consume more Guinness than Ireland, thanks to their vibrant beer cultures. In fact, one in 10 beers sold in the UK is a Guinness.
If we look beyond Europe, Panama, Mexico, Gabon, and South Africa also rank among the top 20 countries
To learn more about this topic from a wine-based perspective, check out this graphic on which U.S. states consume the most wine.
