Legal Drinking Age In Different Countries
Posted by admin in Featured Articles on 05 22nd, 2009 | 140 responses
Alcohol has become an integral part of celebration in our society. Wedding, college graduation or a friendly get together, alcohol is usually there. There are some countries that prohibit alcohol drinking altogether, and then there are some where laws prohibit you from drinking until you turn 21. I am sure most of you have wondered what the legal drinking age is in some countries are as compared to United States and that is exactly what this post is all about. Below you will find over 80 countries with different legal drinking age.
If you would like to download this information, please click on the download link towards the end of this article.
Please note that legal drinking age is different than legal purchasing age in some countries. This list shows the legal drinking age where one can drink alcohol but may not be able to purchase.
Drinking and Purchasing of Alcohol Is Illegal
- Libya
- Sudan
- Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait
- Bangladesh
- Iran
- Pakistan ( for foreign nationals (non muslims) the legal drinking age is 21)
Legal Drinking Age = None
- Albania
- Brunei
- Denmark
- Poland
- Mauritius
- Georgia
- Cambodia
- Malaysia
- Macau
- Philippines
- Gibraltar
- Slovakia
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Slovenia
- New Zealand
- Malta
- Norway
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Swaziland
- Thailand
- Greece
- Finland
Legal Drinking Age = 14
- Spain
Legal Drinking Age = 16
- Lebanon
- Eritrea
- Austria
- Bulgeria
- Botswana
- Zimbabwe
- France
- Luxembourg
- Germany
- Switzerland (16-18)
- Samoa
Legal Drinking Age = 17
- Cyprus
Legal Drinking Age = 18
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Canada (18-19)
- Puerto Rico
- Algeria
- Cameroon
- Malawi
- South Africa
- Argentina
- China
- Hong Kong
- Jordan
- Israel
- Fiji
- Australia
- Ukraine
- Sweden
- Russia
- Latvia
- Hungary
- Singapore
- Croatia
- Belarus
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Mongolia
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Ecuador
- Columbia
- Chile
- Uganda
Legal Drinking Age = 19
- South Korea
Legal Drinking Age = 20
- Japan
- Paraguay
Legal Drinking Age = 21
- United States Of America
- Indonesia
- Palau
We have also created an excel file for anyone who would like to keep this information handy, Download the legal drinking age in different countries.
We know we have missed quite a few as it is not possible to include every single country in the list. If you know of any laws related to drinking age for countries that weren’t mentioned here please let us know through your comments.
Related posts:
- 15 Reasons Why Drinking Age Should Be 18
- Words Every Cognac Drinking Person Should Know
- Beginner’s Guide To Drinking Cognac
- Drinking Alcohol (in moderation) Is Good For You, Here’s Why
- 10 Major Cognac Markets and The Shift In Demand
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‘I am surprised the UK isn’t on the list, 18 is the legal drinking age in the UK.’
its not that clear cut in the UK actually, you have to be 18 to buy alcohol in a pub or shop or to consume it in public, however, on private property its legal to drink from the age of 5 with the landowners permission (AFAIK members clubs fall into this catagory, but no other licenced premises do) and from the age of 16 a beer or cider can be ordered with a meal in a public house as long as the person is acompanied by an over 18.
Actually, the legal drinking age for the UK is 5, which is why I assume it wasn’t on the list.
The legal age for alcohol purchase is 18.
We at the Sheebee council for abstinence are just shocked, shocked and appalled, that you have not put Sheebee on the list. The legal age is 4. And also, you should abstain from not drinking. It’s really quite immoral to wait so long to drink. PS I’m drunken.
Oops I meant the land of sheebee. sorry, so drunk.
WTF! Where is Canada is right!
Quebec it’s 16.
Filipe, it is legal to drink in Portugal at any age. It is only illegal to drink in public (or buy alcohol) when under 16, the law says nothing about private consumption. However, these days might be over soon as there is new legislation being worked out as we speak.
(Procura o Decreto-Lei n.o 9/2002
de 24 de Janeiro e lê o Artigo 2º)
Ireland is not listed because instead of a legal drinking age it is rather a drinking mandate.
Erin Go Bragh!
In Canada, Québec, we don’t have legal drinking, I mean you don’t get arrested if you drink alcohol. But you must be 18 years old to buy it.
Norway is placed wrong..
Legal age for drinking in Norway is 18 ..
In Alberta the legal age is 18
Has been at least 30 years.
I AM a 52 year old Albertan.
About half the population of Canada lives in “18 year” statute provinces.
Remember that the U.S. used to be under “Drinking and Purchasing of Alcohol Is Illegal”, so it should be no shock it now has the strictest age limit.
Poland: 18
In Poland alcohol is from 18 years old!!!!!!!!!!!
are you sure about Kuwait? I always thought Kuwait was a liberal country compared to say iran/pakistan/saudi and the rest? never been to any of these countries but that is what the media conveys
your both wrong its 18 in Alberta , Manitoba and Quebec , worked in Alberta so I know there for sure
UK law is complex
Under 5 is illegal to consume alchahol unless under medical supervision for medical purposes
Over 5 can consume I guess.
16-17 can srink wine, cider or beer in pub, if brought with meal and with adult present (in Scotland 16-17 y/o can buy drink with meal, In England, wales and Northern Ireland the Adult must buy the drink)
18 y/o or over can buy alchahol. Illegal to buy alchahol for under 18’s to consume in pub or public place (unless with meal in pub)
by-laws apply blanket bans or other rules in certain areas
For Serbia, it’s 18
India not on the list
You forgot India, possibly the world’s largest consumer of alchoholic beverages. I believe the legal drinking age is 21, but who asks…
To clarify on Canada: In alberta, quebec and manitoba the drinking age is 18, everywhere else is 19. I know this is a fact since I have bought alcohol at the age of 18 in all of these provinces, everywhere else is 19.
Brazil = 18
Buying and drinking
Also, Gibraltar the drinking age is actually 16.
I’d like to see a chart like this, but based on population, not countries, because some countries are 100x bigger than others.
The legal drinking age in the UK is actually 5 years old.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-fiveyearolds-guide-to-drinking-safely-1216232.html
uk the legal age for purchasing alcohol in the uk is 18, some bars/clubs enforce 21 a however the consumption of alcohol in the uk has no age limit.
[...] Aside from the places where it is illegal to drink, the US really blows as far as the legal drinking age is concerned. Our neighbors to the north, Canada, let 19 years olds drink and our neighbors to the south, Mexico, let 18 year olds drink. Most of Western Europe is way below us as well. So what’s the deal? Time to work Obama on this one. See more of the list here: Cognac.com [...]
In “Bulgaria” (spelling note): The legal age is (in most parts) and used to be: its legal if you can buy it. But officially its probably 18.
Just for those on the upset at lack of UK listing its 5 or at least that’s what the age in Scotland when a parent can legally give a child booze is. Would imagine its the same for the rest of the UK but I might be wrong given the 2 gov think
@Jamie
It depends…In England it’s 18, but you can drink from 13 in scotland with a meal, you can drink at 16 and buy drink at 18.
I’m from Alberta, the Legal drinking age is 18 here, I know, I bought alcohol at 18
I live in Alberta in Canada, for sure legal age here is 18, Manatoba and Quebec are also 18 while everywhere else is 19.
Jon, Canada is listed under Legal Age= 18
Perú: purchasing and drinking age= 18. but the nreality is that we have “quinces”, kinda like sweet sixteens but at 15, thats for the girls, and ther’s no 15 without lots and lots of alcohol…sooo
In Denmark the legal drinking age is 15.
Legal drinking age in Poland is 18 not none
USA has chosen a great way to introduce all of it’s youth to the Criminal Justice System.
in the netherlands light alcaholic drinks like beer is 16 and hard liquor is 18.
In The Netherlands drinking and purchasing age for alcohol until 14,9% is 16. For all stronger drinks 15%+ you need to be 18.
What about Turkey? It’s a Muslim country but when I was there I saw a liquor store on every corner in Istanbul, Izmir and Cesma.
Costa Rica’s legal age is 18yo, for drink and buy.
Sweden is 18 to consume, 21 to purchase. . .
I didn’t think the US and Indonesia had anything in common, but it looks like I was wrong: They both have absurdly high drinking ages!
I would like to see this information cross indexed with the percentage of drinking related crimes in those countries. Would be interesting.
Belgium: 16
I don’t drink, so I don’t care what the age is. I do think they should require some sort of maturity test and license before allowing people to drink.
I work at a hotel, and I have to deal with too many loud, obnoxious drunks of various ages.
in finland one can buy any type alcohol at 20. 18 years olds is restricted to 22% and lower. [yeah, that 22% makes sense?] also, it’s just as illegal to consume it at home….
Turkey is 18
Yes, Aus is similar to some other countries – purchasing is 18, you can drink in a restaurant or having a meal with your parents at any age ( so long as you are having a meal ) and there are more intricacies and complications.
Perhaps change the title to legal age to purchase alcohol.
How do you miss India? The second largest populated country in the world!!!!!!!!
[...] Legal Drinking Age In Different Countries (Cognac) [...]
New Zealand is 18