THE world drank the equivalent of 6.1 litres of pure alcohol per person in 2005, according to a report from the World Health Organisation published on February 11th. The biggest boozers are mostly found in Europe and in the former Soviet states. Moldovans are the most bibulous, getting through 18.2 litres each, nearly 2 litres more than the Czechs in second place. Over 10 litres of a Moldovan's annual intake is reckoned to be 'unrecorded' home-brewed liquor, making it particularly harmful to health. Such moonshine accounts for almost 30% of the world's drinking.The WHO estimates that alcohol results in 2.5m deaths a year, more than AIDS or tuberculosis. In Russia and its former satellite states one in five male deaths is caused by drink. List of countries by alcohol consumption : 1- Moldova 2- Czech Republic 3- Hungary 4- Russia 5- Ukraine 6- Estonia 7- Andorra 8- Romania 9- Slovenia 10- Belarus 11- Croatia 12- Lithuania 13- South Korea 14- Portugal 15- Ireland 16- France 17- United Kingdom 18- Denmark 19- Slovakia 20- Poland 21- Austria 22- Luxembourg 23- Germany 24- Finland 25- Latvia 26- Bulgaria 27- Nigeria 28- Uganda 29- Saint Lucia 30- Spain 31- Armenia 32- Serbia 31- Switzerland 32- Kazakhstan 33- Belgium 34- Greece 35- Italy 36- Azerbaijan 37- Seychelles 38- Grenada 39- Sweden 40- Palau 41- Netherlands 42- Australia 43- Argentina 44- Niue 45- Rwanda 46- Canada 47- Sierra Leone 48- Bosnia and Herzegovina 49- New Zealand 50- Namibia "Pure alcohol consumption among adults (age 15+) in litres per capita per year"
