Australia vs Ireland: Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year
Australia
80.7%
in 2020
Ireland
83.2%
in 2020
Australia rank
4th
Ireland rank
2nd
Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year over time
- Australia
- Ireland
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 83.2% against 80.7% in Australia, a difference of 2.5%.
Across all 21 years both countries report, Ireland has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 4th and Ireland ranks 2nd of 187 countries.
Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 80.3% | 82.4% | 2.1% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 80.6% | 82.5% | 1.9% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 80.7% | 83.2% | 2.5% | Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adults who drank alcohol in last year, Australia or Ireland?
- Ireland, at 83.2% against 80.7% in Australia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of adults who drank alcohol in last year between Australia and Ireland?
- 2.5%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Ireland?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Australia and Ireland rank globally for share of adults who drank alcohol in last year?
- Australia ranks 4th and Ireland ranks 2nd 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 adults who drank alcohol in last year. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Adults are defined as those aged 15 years and older. Shown is the share of adults who have drunk any alcohol in the preceding 12 months.