The past couple of years have been pretty tough for basically everyone. And so it’s no wonder many of us have turned to drink to help battle through it.
But one nation in particular seems to be getting bevved more than the rest. A new survey has found that on average, people drank ‘to drunkenness’ around 15 times in 2020. In Australia, however, that number rises to 27 times – nearly double the global average.
The study was run by the Global Drug Survey, which polled more than 32,000 people from 22 countries. The results showed that Australians tend to drink twice a week, which is in line with local government recommendations. In France, that number rises to around three nights a week – the highest anywhere in the world.
More worryingly, Australians also topped the list for the number of people who’ve needed to contact the emergency services as a result of drinking. The global average is around 1.2 percent of people – but in Australia, it’s 3.9 percent.
We all know Aussies like a good drink, but we’re sure the lack of big national lockdowns that year also meant there were more boozy social events on the calendar, too. That may partly explain this year’s stats.
Generally, though, experts have described the pandemic as a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances leading to higher rates of drinking. There’s nothing wrong with the odd drink, of course, but if you reckon you’re getting drunk more than you should, it could be time to look for professional help.
Here are the ten countries where people get drunk the most, according to the poll:
1. Australia
2. Denmark
3. Finland
4. USA
5. UK
6. Canada
7. Ireland
8. France
9. Sweden
10. Netherlands
And if you want to take part in this year’s survey? Check out the Global Drug Survey website here.