It is said that the United Kingdom has a bad drinking culture.
Is this true or is it just exaggeration?
We’ve collected data from various polls and reports to help paint you a clear picture of the situation on the ground.
Deaths due to alcohol
There were a reported total of 7551 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2018.
Almost a similar number was reported in the previous year.
It also further reported that most of these deaths were of men aged 54 – 59 years, and women aged 60 -64 years.
Hospital admissions due to alcohol
According to the NHS, there were an estimated 337, 870 admissions in hospitals across the UK due to alcohol consumption.
20% of all those admitted do so after consuming alcohol in a harmful way, e.g. drinking way beyond what their bodies can handle. And 10% of all those admitted are addicted to alcohol.
Drinking volumes
27% of drinkers in the UK, or about 8 million people, binge-drink on occasion. The amounts of alcohol consumed during these occasions are estimated to be over 8 units for men and over 6 units for women.
Another report shows that 21 of adults in the UK drink over 14 units of alcohol per week. Men average at 28 units and women at 14 units.
Drinking regularity
According to a Global Drug Survey report, the UK ranks as one of the most-drunk countries in the world. The survey reports that adults in the UK get drunk as many as 51 times a year compared to the global average of 33.
Another report says that 25% of adults in the UK regularly drink beyond the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines.
The cost of drinking
The cost of alcohol has gone up 31% over the last 10 years. This is mostly due to taxation, the rising cost of doing business, and increased cost of living. It is estimated that in 2018 the average household spent about 16 pounds on alcohol each week. Half of this was spent on alcohol consumed at home and the other half on alcohol consumed outside.
Drinking by age
Older adults in the UK aged 65 years above drink way more frequently, and more in a year, compared to younger adults.
While elder drinkers may frequent the pub about 4 or 5 times in a given week, younger adults aged 16 to 24 may only visit a pub just once in a week. This could be attributed to retirement, solitary living, and having disposable incomes among older citizens.
However, polls show that younger adults do drink more per seating compared to their elder counterparts. This could be because they go out less often or due to obvious higher biological tolerances.
Drinking spots
Research data shows that a third of all alcohol in the UK is consumed in commercial outlets such as pubs and restaurants. About 25% of all alcohol consumed is taken at home. Another 25% or so is consumed outdoors in the streets, alleys, in cars, etc.
What people drink
According to 2018 data from the World Health Organization, trends in the year 2016 among adults aged 15 and above show that wine and beer are the most preferred options at 35% and 36% respectively. Spirits follow at 22%. Ciders and others come in fourth place at about 7%.
