Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland
Ireland: Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year was 83.2% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland, 2000–2020
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland is 83.2%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland peaked at 83.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 81.3%, in 2013.
That places Ireland 2nd out of 187 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 81.7% | — |
| 2001 | 82.1% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 82.3% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 82.1% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 82.4% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 82.6% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 83.0% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 83.3% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 82.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 81.6% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 81.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 81.9% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 81.8% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 81.3% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 81.7% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 82.7% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 83.1% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 83.2% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 83.5% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 83.4% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 83.2% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 82.4% | 81.6% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.5% | 81.3% | 83.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.2% | 83.2% | 83.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 1 Luxembourg 84.2% compare
- 3 Andorra 82.5% compare
- 4 Australia 80.7% compare
- 5 New Zealand 80.3% compare
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 share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland?
- Share of adults who drank alcohol in last year in Ireland was 83.2% 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 adults who drank alcohol in last year recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 83.5% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of adults who drank alcohol in last year recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.3% in 2013.
- How does Ireland rank for share of adults who drank alcohol in last year?
- Ireland ranks 2nd out of 187 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of adults who drank alcohol in last year rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland 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 adults who drank alcohol in last year. 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
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.