Iceland vs New Zealand: Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year
Iceland
79.2%
in 2020
New Zealand
80.3%
in 2020
Iceland rank
8th
New Zealand rank
5th
Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year over time
- Iceland
- New Zealand
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 80.3% against 79.2% in Iceland, a difference of 1.1%.
Across all 21 years both countries report, New Zealand has been ahead every year.
Iceland ranks 8th and New Zealand ranks 5th of 187 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 76.9% | 79.3% | 2.4% | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 78.3% | 79.7% | 1.5% | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 79.2% | 80.3% | 1.1% | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adults who drank alcohol in last year, Iceland or New Zealand?
- New Zealand, at 80.3% against 79.2% in Iceland as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of adults who drank alcohol in last year between Iceland and New Zealand?
- 1.1%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and New Zealand?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Iceland and New Zealand rank globally for share of adults who drank alcohol in last year?
- Iceland ranks 8th and New Zealand ranks 5th 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.