South Africa vs United States: Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days
South Africa
42.0%
in 2020
United States
42.1%
in 2020
South Africa rank
85th
United States rank
83rd
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days over time
- South Africa
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 42.1% against 42.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 21 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 85th and United States ranks 83rd of 187 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45.2% | 44.8% | 0.4% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 43.8% | 43.5% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 42.0% | 42.1% | 0.1% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days, South Africa or United States?
- United States, at 42.1% against 42.0% in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days between South Africa and United States?
- 0.1%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and United States rank globally for share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days?
- South Africa ranks 85th and United States ranks 83rd of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Heavy episodic drinking (drinkers only) is defined as the proportion of adult drinkers (15+ years) who have had at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. A consumption of 60 grams of pure alcohol corresponds approximately to 6 standard alcoholic drinks.