Alcohol consumption in Ireland
Ireland: Alcohol consumption was 9.2 Litres per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
9.2 Litres per person
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
13th
of 41 countries
All-time high
14.5 Litres per person
in 2001
All-time low
4.9 Litres per person
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Alcohol consumption in Ireland, 1960–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Litres per person.
Analysis
In 2025, alcohol consumption in Ireland stood at 9.2 Litres per person.
The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, alcohol consumption in Ireland peaked at 14.5 Litres per person in 2001 and was at its lowest, 4.9 Litres per person, in 1960.
That places Ireland 13th out of 41 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Alcohol consumption in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Litres per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.9 Litres per person | — |
| 1961 | 5 Litres per person | +2.0% |
| 1962 | 5.5 Litres per person | +10.0% |
| 1963 | 5.2 Litres per person | -5.5% |
| 1964 | 5.6 Litres per person | +7.7% |
| 1965 | 5.8 Litres per person | +3.6% |
| 1966 | 5.9 Litres per person | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 5.9 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 6.1 Litres per person | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 6.5 Litres per person | +6.6% |
| 1970 | 7 Litres per person | +7.7% |
| 1971 | 7.3 Litres per person | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 7.7 Litres per person | +5.5% |
| 1973 | 8.2 Litres per person | +6.5% |
| 1974 | 9.3 Litres per person | +13.4% |
| 1975 | 9.2 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 9 Litres per person | -2.2% |
| 1977 | 9.2 Litres per person | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 9.8 Litres per person | +6.5% |
| 1979 | 10 Litres per person | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 9.6 Litres per person | -4.0% |
| 1981 | 9.1 Litres per person | -5.2% |
| 1982 | 8.8 Litres per person | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 8 Litres per person | -9.1% |
| 1984 | 9.6 Litres per person | +20.0% |
| 1985 | 10 Litres per person | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 9.6 Litres per person | -4.0% |
| 1987 | 9.5 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 9.9 Litres per person | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 10.2 Litres per person | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 11.2 Litres per person | +9.8% |
| 1991 | 11.2 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 11.4 Litres per person | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 11.2 Litres per person | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 11.2 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 11.5 Litres per person | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 12.2 Litres per person | +6.1% |
| 1997 | 12.8 Litres per person | +4.9% |
| 1998 | 13.2 Litres per person | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 13.8 Litres per person | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 14.2 Litres per person | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 14.5 Litres per person | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 14.3 Litres per person | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 13.5 Litres per person | -5.6% |
| 2004 | 13.6 Litres per person | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 13.4 Litres per person | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 13.4 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 13.2 Litres per person | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 12.2 Litres per person | -7.6% |
| 2009 | 11 Litres per person | -9.8% |
| 2010 | 11.6 Litres per person | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 11.7 Litres per person | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 11.5 Litres per person | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 10.6 Litres per person | -7.8% |
| 2014 | 10.8 Litres per person | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 10.7 Litres per person | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 11.2 Litres per person | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 11 Litres per person | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 11 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10.8 Litres per person | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 9.9 Litres per person | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 9.8 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 10.3 Litres per person | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 9.9 Litres per person | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 9.4 Litres per person | -5.1% |
| 2025 | 9.2 Litres per person | -2.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 9.2 Litres per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.45 Litres per person, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 9.2 Litres per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.1 Litres per person, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.64 Litres per person | 4.9 Litres per person | 6.5 Litres per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.67 Litres per person | 7 Litres per person | 10 Litres per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.43 Litres per person | 8 Litres per person | 10.2 Litres per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.97 Litres per person | 11.2 Litres per person | 13.8 Litres per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.33 Litres per person | 11 Litres per person | 14.5 Litres per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.09 Litres per person | 10.6 Litres per person | 11.7 Litres per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.75 Litres per person | 9.2 Litres per person | 10.3 Litres per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More reference data data for Ireland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is alcohol consumption in Ireland?
- Alcohol consumption in Ireland was 9.2 Litres per person in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest alcohol consumption recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 14.5 Litres per person in 2001.
- What is the lowest alcohol consumption recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.9 Litres per person in 1960.
- How does Ireland rank for alcohol consumption?
- Ireland ranks 13th out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
- Is alcohol consumption rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Alcohol consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Unhealthy lifestyles and poor environments cause millions of people to die prematurely. Smoking, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are the root cause of many chronic conditions. This dataset presents the latest data for alcohol consumption. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.