In Canada, India and the United Arab Emirates, different regions have different legal drinking ages. Alcohol consumption varies considerably from country to country, as does the legal drinking age. In the United States, you must be at least 21 years of age or older to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages (with some exceptions in some jurisdictions). Surprisingly, this is one of the highest ages in the world to drink. To the north of the United States is Canada, which has a legal drinking age of 18 to 19, and the legal drinking age is much lower in many other countries. In fact, some countries don`t have a minimum drinking age (although there may be a minimum age to buy alcohol) – although the vast majority of these countries still have laws on the age you need to have to buy alcoholic beverages. Conversely, in some countries (usually under strict Muslim rule), alcohol consumption is completely prohibited. Of the 190 countries, 61% have an alcohol consumption age of 18 or 19. The United States and 11 other countries have an MLDA of 21, the highest MLDA of any country where it is legal to drink (although some parts of India have drinking ages of 25 and 30). Alcohol is banned in 16 countries, all Muslim, although some have exceptions for non-Muslims. Want to know more about the legal drinking age around the world? Check out the map below to find out the legal drinking age in countries around the world! According to the report, in 2016, more than 50% of people in America, Europe and the Western Pacific (Japan, Australia, Oceania) drank alcoholic beverages. For comparison, in 2016, only 32.2% of people in Africa and 33.1% of people in Southeast Asia (India, North Korea, Sri Lanka, etc.) drank.
In addition, 94.9% of the inhabitants of the Eastern Mediterranean (Egypt, Iran, Yemen, etc.) abstained from alcohol throughout their lives. Alcohol consumption is illegal in many Eastern Mediterranean countries, at least for Muslims. * The legal drinking age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. In all other provinces and territories, the legal drinking age is 19. ** In Abu Dhabi, the legal drinking age is 18. In all other regions, except Sharjah, the age limit is 21 years. The sale, supply and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Sharjah. Several reasons have been given for the laws and regulations underlying the legal drinking age. For some people, the initiation of minors to alcohol interferes with their normal expected activities, such as studying. Alcohol can also affect their behavior. However, the well-known reason for prohibiting underage drinking until they reach a certain age is the effect of alcohol on the brain in adolescents. Since their brains are still maturing, alcohol can damage their memory and long-term thinking.
Alcohol can also lead to complications such as liver failure and hormonal imbalance in minors, as their bodies are constantly changing as they mature, especially during puberty. For many, the ability to buy a legal drink is a sign of maturity and freedom — and perhaps a harbinger of questionable choices and good times. The most recent legal age in the world is 15, with Mali and the Central African Republic currently allowing alcohol consumption. Seven countries do not have state-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban alcohol consumption altogether. Manzoor Butt: “The consumption of illegal toxic alcohol kills hundreds of people every year in Pakistan; Family doctors need to take a more proactive role in saving precious lives,” Middle East Journal of Business, April 2015 This is China. There are laws that limit the drinking age. But only foreign-run associations/companies must comply with the law. While 21 is the norm for most of the United States (Wisconsin if you look at it), many consumers around the world have already introduced alcohol. In fact, 64% of the world`s countries have a legal drinking age of 18.
We probably don`t need to tell you that different countries have very different approaches to alcohol. Different tastes, different styles and, perhaps more directly, different laws. Depending on where you go in the world, the drinking age can be 15, 18, 20 or 21. In some countries, there may not be a legal drinking age. Note: Some countries have several different reports on the legal drinking age. In these cases, the age specified by WHO is used. The Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) is the minimum age at which a person can legally handle or consume alcoholic beverages. MLDA laws cover a wide range of topics, including when and where alcohol can be consumed and vary from country to country. The majority of countries have set the MLDA at 18 or 19 years. The United States (excluding Puerto Rico and the island of Virginia) and 19 other countries, particularly Asian countries, have the highest MLDA. However, some parts of India have an alcohol drinking age of 25 to 30 years.
In some countries, especially Muslim countries, alcohol is completely banned, with one exception sometimes for non-Muslims. Italy has set a legal drinking age of 16, one of the lowest in the world. In 2002, Renato Balduzzi, then Minister of Health, proposed raising the minimum drinking age to 18. However, the sale of alcoholic beverages to children under the age of 18 on premises is considered illegal and is punishable by a fine of 250 to 1,000 euros. Giving alcohol to anyone under the age of 16 is considered a crime and carries a penalty of up to one year in prison. Despite the regulations, many minors enjoy alcoholic beverages, especially in the company of their parents and at social events. Bangladesh Benin Cambodia Cameroon Canada: Varies by province and territory from 18 to 19. China Comoros Congo Djibouti Gabon: On-site sales are limited to people aged 18 and over. Ghana Guinea-Bissau Haiti India: Varies by state from no legal sales to 25 years and older. Indonesia: Off-site sales are limited to individuals 21 years of age and older. Lao People`s Democratic Republic: The sale of beer on site is limited to persons aged 18 and over. Mali Niue: On-site sales are limited to people aged 18 and over.
Rwanda: On-site sales are limited to people aged 18 and over. Sao Tome and Principe Sierra Leone Syria Timor-Leste Togo J.D. DiGiovanni, “F—, Marry, Kill: The `Legal Age` for Doing Adult Things around the World,” hopesandfears.com (accessed 15. July 2015) Can I sue Chinese companies in South Korea and then execute a South Korean judgment in China? A Country a Month, “Local Food You Should Try in Kosovo and No-Miss Drinks in Kosovo,” acountryamonth.com Retrieved July 15, 2015. Rob Harris and John Leicester, “Qatar to World Cup Critics: We`re No Vampires,” ap.org, November 11, 2014 Although the majority of countries in the world have set the MLDA at 18, 16 is considered the youngest age to drink. At least eight countries and regions have committed to their MLDA for a period of 16 years. These countries include Barbados, British Virginia Islands, Cuba, Luxembourg, Panama, Serbia, Serbia and Zimbabwe. In these countries, it is a criminal offence to sell, give or offer alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 16. However, in Zimbabwe, a person is permitted to sell or provide alcoholic beverages to children under the age of 16 if there is evidence of a written document signed by the parents or guardians of the minor known to the person selling the alcohol. Jay R.
Brooks, “Solomon Islands Beer,” brookstonbeerbulletin.com, July 7, 2012 When I first went to a club, I was 16, but since I always looked older than I am, they never asked for ID. I visited some of my wife`s friends in Wuhan last weekend and they invited me to a dinner and evening with the Caroline Rainbow Foundation, “Drinking Age Restrictions,” carolinesrainbowfoundation.org (accessed July 15, 2015) Central African Republic: On-site sales are limited to people aged 21 and over. The minimum age to buy alcohol in India is 18 years old in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim and Pondicherry. The legal drinking age is 21 in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Meghalaya, Punjab and Delhi. Alcohol is banned in Bihar, Gujarat, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Lakshadweep. Equatorial Guinea Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Mongolia Oman Palau Pakistan Sri Lanka Solomon Islands United Arab Emirates United States The following charts include the Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) and related data for 190 independent states recognized by the U.S. Department of State on July 15, 2015.