Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days was 33.6% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates, 2000–2020
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates stood at 33.6%. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates peaked at 36.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 33.6%, in 2020.
United Arab Emirates ranks 134th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 36.0% | — |
| 2001 | 35.8% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 35.7% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 36.0% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 36.0% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 35.8% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 36.0% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 36.0% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 36.4% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 35.8% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 35.5% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 35.5% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 35.4% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 35.5% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 35.3% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 35.1% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 35.0% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 34.7% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 34.4% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 33.6% | -2.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 33.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 38.1%, 88% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 33.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 22.3%, 1.5× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.9% | 35.7% | 36.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.2% | 34.4% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.6% | 33.6% | 33.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More reference data data for United Arab Emirates
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0407 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4839 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.6291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.6291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1364 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0486 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0008 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates?
- Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in United Arab Emirates was 33.6% in 2020, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 36.4% in 2008.
- What is the lowest share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.6% in 2020.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 134th out of 187 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.