Online Reporter
Sifelani Tsiko
Fact Check Editor
ZIMBABWE’s social media ecosystem was abuzz a few days ago after Delta Corporation, a major beverage manufacturer in the country, recorded an 8 percent growth in lager beer sales to 2,66 million hectolitres last year.
This increase sparked debate on whether Zimbabwe is among nations with heavy drinkers, whose 113th ranking on the drinking list means it is far from being a top drinking country.
Delta Corporation is the country’s major beverage manufacturer. The company says lager beer volume grew by 8 percent, reaching 2,66 million hectolitres, driven by improved brand and pack supply and competitive pricing. Sorghum beer volume in Zimbabwe (excluding exports) increased by 1 percent, while overall volumes declined by 7 percent due to the cessation of regional exports.
Are figures from Delta Corporation representative of Zimbabwe’s overall alcohol consumption rates?
No. Apart from clear lager produced largely by Delta, Zimbabweans consume million litres of imported lagers, wine and spirits, both local and imports, every year. The majority of alcohol consumed are lagers, opaque sorghum beer and ciders followed by wine and spirits. Data on imported or smuggled alcohol is difficult and complex to collate. Zimbabweans prefer beer most over wine and spirits and the bulk of alcohol drunk is beer, followed by spirits and wine.
Why is alcohol data and analysis problematic in Zimbabwe and most other African countries?
Alcohol data collection and analysis in Zimbabwe and most other African countries still faces numerous challenges, including limited accessibility to survey data, lack of standardised measurement and under reporting.
For example, the heavy presence of illicit alcohol production and consumption further complicates data collection and analysis. Researchers say alcohol data constraints are compounded by accessibility restrictions on survey data, limited geographical coverage, lack of systematic and standardised measurement of alcohol, infrequency of surveys and the lack of transparency and public availability of industry data on production, distribution and consumption.
Alcohol per capita consumption
This rating reflects how many litres of pure ethanol are drunk by people in a particular country per year. Ethanol is accepted as the unit of assessment, although all alcoholic drinks have this diluted to some extent. But using the pure alcohol is done for ease of comparison even though any alcohol is taken into account in the rating, including beer, wine and others.
The World Health Organisation provides data on the level of alcohol consumption per capita by country and the figures are the number of litres of pure ethanol per person over the age of 15. The statistics are an important indicator that provides key information about the impact of alcohol on public health. The WHO produces the statistics to show how high rates of alcohol consumption are directly associated with an increase in cases of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other serious ailments. The WHO publishes the report once every 5-6 years, providing a more accurate understanding of alcohol consumption trends among adults.
What does the WHO take into account when capturing the data?
Data specialists take into account various aspects of consumption such as gender, age and types of alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine and spirits. This, to some extent, allows the specialists to study in more detail the characteristics of consumption in different countries and determine which prevention and control measures can be most effective.
Are alcohol consumption patterns easy to measure?
Alcohol consumption patterns are complex, influenced by individual factors like age, gender, and mental health, as well as societal factors like drinking culture and alcohol pricing, WHO experts say. In addition, they say alcohol’s effects on the body can vary widely, leading to both short-term and long-term health problems, including alcohol use disorder (AUD).
What is Zimbabwe’s ranking using WHO 2024 data?
Zimbabwe ranks 113th in the world with alcohol consumption per capita of 3,6 litres, far much lower than Uganda 12.2, Seychelles 12, Tanzania 10.4, Cameroon 10.1 and others in Africa.
Which countries are the biggest consumers of alcohol?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) comprehensive 2024 report on the global status, the biggest consumers of alcohol are countries in Central Europe, the South Pacific and parts of the Caribbean. Europe tops in beer and wine consumption while at the bottom of the consumption charts are countries like Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Muslim countries where intoxication is religiously prohibited.
Here are the top 10 African countries with the highest alcohol consumption.
Country Alcohol Consumption per capita in litres/year
Uganda 12.2
Seychelles 12
Tanzania 10,4
Cameron 10.1
Burkina Faso 9.8
South Africa 8.8
Benin 8.3
Botswana 8.2
Eswatini 8.1
Mauritius 7.5
Top 10 countries with the highest alcohol consumption in the world
Romania 17
Georgia 14.3
Czech 13.3
Latvia 13.1
Uganda 12.2
Germany 12.2
Austria 12
Seychelles 12
Bulgaria 11.9
Lithuania 11.8
Most alcohol is consumed mainly in European countries and Romania tops the ranking with 17 litres per capita, far ahead of all countries. At least 17 litres of pure alcohol per person per year are consumed in Romania.
Top 10 countries with the lowest alcohol consumption are all nations with very large Muslim majorities
Niger 0.1
Egypt 0.1
Indonesia 0.1
Saudi Arabia 0.1
Bangladesh 0.1
Afghanistan 0.1
Somalia 0.1
Mauritania 0.1
Sudan 0.1
Kuwait 0.1
The least drinking nations are mainly Muslim states where Islam is the official religion. Alcohol is not allowed in these countries but is sold only to tourists in restricted areas.
What are the alcohol consumption predictions for the future?
The intake of alcohol across the globe rose from 5,9 litres of pure alcohol per adult in 1990 to 6,5 litres in 1997 and is projected to jump to 7,6 litres by 2030. Worldwide, 45 percent of recorded booze consumption is in the form of spirits such as grain alcohol. Another 15 percent is beer, and 12 percent is wine.
Why alcohol consumption is problematic across the world
In Zimbabwe and most other countries across the world, it is increasingly becoming difficult to turn a blind eye to alcohol abuse. Governments are under pressure to tackle alcoholism which is adding to Africa’s burden of HIV, birth defects, road accidents and violent crime. The WHO says alcohol or alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, a psychoactive and toxic substance that can cause dependence. It further reports that worldwide, around 2,6 million deaths were caused by alcohol consumption in 2019. Of these, 1.6 million deaths were from non – communicable diseases, 700 000 deaths from injuries and 300 000 deaths from communicable diseases.
Key facts and impact
- The alcohol – attributable mortality was heaviest among men, accounting for 2 million deaths compared to 600 000 deaths among women, in 2019.
- An estimated 400 million people, or 7 percent of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, lived with alcohol use disorders. Of this, 209 million people (3.7 percent of the adult world population) lived with alcohol dependence.
- Alcohol consumption, even at low levels can bring health risks, but most alcohol related harms come from heavy episodic or heavy continuous alcohol consumption.
- Effective alcohol control interventions exist and should be utilised more, at the same time it is important for people to know risks associated with alcohol consumption and take individual actions to protect from its harmful effects. (WHO June 2024)
Verdict
Zimbabwe is not among the top alcohol consuming nations in Africa and the world. Zimbabwe has an alcohol consumption per capita of 3,6 litres of pure ethanol per year. But this is not a figure to smile about as over the past few decades, the country has seen a rise in the abuse of alcohol, illicit drugs and narcotics taking its toll on the younger generation. Alcohol Use Disorder statistics: More than 11 percent of Zimbabwean men grapple with alcohol use disorder, highlighting the pervasive nature of alcohol dependency among males in the country. In 2021, unveiled the Zimbabwe National Drug Masterplan which identifies alcohol and drug abuse as one of the top causes of mental health problems in all the country’s 10 provinces.
Source – World Health Organisation – Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders 2024
Global Relocate rankings
Ministry of Health and Child Care
