Minimum Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol around the World
This chart shows legal age for drinking alcohol around the world.
Note:
- see notes - Check Dataset for more information.
- If you have information about a country not listed here or if you find any of the information outdated, please "Report an error" below.
10 months ago
| Country name | Drinking age | Note |
| Albania | None | |
| Cambodia | None | |
| Comoros | None | |
| Cuba | None | |
| Denmark | None | There is no law about alcohol consumption in Denmark. If a shop or bar fails to ask for an ID-card and they are identified having sold alcohol to an underage (18), they are fined. A national ID-card, obtained in the local town hall, can serve as age verification. |
| Equatorial Guinea | None | |
| Gabon | None | |
| Ghana | None | |
| Guinea-Bissau | None | |
| Jamaica | None | |
| Kyrgyzstan | None | |
| Morocco | None | |
| Swaziland | None | |
| Togo | None | |
| Bahrain | Illegal | 21 for non-Muslim population |
| Oman | Illegal | 21 for non-Muslim population |
| Pakistan | Illegal | 21 for non-Muslim population |
| Qatar | Illegal | 21 for non-Muslim population |
| Somalia | Illegal | 21 for non-Muslim population |
| United Arab Emirates | Illegal | 21 for non-Muslim population |
| Afghanistan | Illegal | |
| Bangladesh | Illegal | |
| Brunei | Illegal | |
| Gambia, The | Illegal | 18 for non-Muslim population 5% of total population |
| Iran | Illegal | |
| Kuwait | Illegal | |
| Libya | Illegal | |
| Saudi Arabia | Illegal | |
| Sudan | Illegal | |
| Yemen | Illegal | |
| Fiji | 21 | |
| Indonesia | 21 | |
| Kazakhstan | 21 | |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | 21 | |
| Palau | 21 | |
| Solomon Islands | 21 | |
| Sri Lanka | 21 | |
| Tajikistan | 21 | |
| United States | 21 | |
| Iceland | 20 | |
| Japan | 20 | |
| Paraguay | 20 | |
| Korea, South | 19 | |
| Nicaragua | 19 | |
| Egypt | 18/21 | 18 for beer; 21 for wine and spirits |
| Norway | 18/20 | 18 but 20 for spirits defined as 22% ABV |
| Canada | 18/19 | 18 in Manitoba Alberta and Quebec. 19 in British Columbia New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan and Yukon. |
| India | 18 to 25 | 18 to 25 depending on state |
| Burundi | 18 | 18 unless accompanied by parents |
| Spain | 18 | 16 in Asturias |
| Algeria | 18 | |
| Argentina | 18 | |
| Australia | 18 | |
| Azerbaijan | 18 | |
| Bahamas, The | 18 | |
| Belarus | 18 | |
| Belize | 18 | |
| Bolivia | 18 | |
| Botswana | 18 | |
| Brazil | 18 | |
| Bulgaria | 18 | |
| Cameroon | 18 | |
| Cape Verde | 18 | |
| Central African Republic | 18 | |
| Chile | 18 | |
| China | 18 | |
| Colombia | 18 | |
| Congo, Republic of the | 18 | |
| Costa Rica | 18 | |
| Croatia | 18 | |
| Czech Republic | 18 | |
| Dominican Republic | 18 | |
| Ecuador | 18 | |
| El Salvador | 18 | |
| Eritrea | 18 | |
| Estonia | 18 | |
| Ethiopia | 18 | |
| Finland | 18 | |
| France | 18 | |
| Greece | 18 | |
| Guatemala | 18 | |
| Guyana | 18 | |
| Hungary | 18 | |
| Iraq | 18 | |
| Ireland | 18 | |
| Israel | 18 | |
| Jordan | 18 | |
| Kenya | 18 | |
| Laos | 18 | |
| Latvia | 18 | |
| Lesotho | 18 | |
| Lithuania | 18 | |
| Malawi | 18 | |
| Malaysia | 18 | |
| Mauritius | 18 | |
| Mexico | 18 | |
| Mongolia | 18 | |
| Mozambique | 18 | |
| Namibia | 18 | |
| Nepal | 18 | |
| New Zealand | 18 | 18 year olds will still be permitted to drink in hotels, bars and restaurants but they will not be allowed to buy alcohol from shops and supermarkets until they are 20. Adults will also face fines of $2,000 for serving alcohol to under-18s unless they have a parent's consent. |
| Niger | 18 | |
| Nigeria | 18 | |
| Panama | 18 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 18 | |
| Peru | 18 | |
| Philippines | 18 | |
| Poland | 18 | |
| Puerto Rico | 18 | |
| Romania | 18 | Ref needed |
| Russia | 18 | |
| Samoa | 18 | |
| Serbia | 18 | Ref needed |
| Seychelles | 18 | |
| Singapore | 18 | |
| Slovakia | 18 | |
| Slovenia | 18 | |
| South Africa | 18 | |
| Sweden | 18 | 20 but 18 for beer with ABV of 3.5% or less |
| Taiwan | 18 | |
| Tanzania | 18 | |
| Thailand | 18 | |
| Tonga | 18 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 18 | |
| Turkey | 18 | |
| Turkmenistan | 18 | |
| Uganda | 18 | |
| Ukraine | 18 | |
| Uruguay | 18 | |
| Vanuatu | 18 | |
| Venezuela | 18 | |
| Vietnam | 18 | Ref needed |
| Zambia | 18 | |
| Zimbabwe | 18 | |
| Cyprus | 17 | |
| Austria | 16/18 | For distilled spirits the age limit is 16 in three Federal States and 18 in six Federal States (there are nine Federal States in Austria ). However some Federal States differentiate by alcohol content rather than by beverage type. Thus drinks with an alcohol content of 12% ABV or more can only be consumed by individuals aged 18 and over which therefore includes some wines and all mixtures containing spirits (e.g. alcopops cocktails). |
| Belgium | 16/18 | Drinking - 16 beer and wine; 18 for spirits | Purchase - None for beer and wine;18 for spirits |
| Germany | 16/18 | 16 for beer and wine;18 spirits |
| Isle of Man | 16/18 | 16 (in public with a meal) 18 otherwise |
| Netherlands | 16/18 | 16 but 18 for spirits that have an ABV of over 15% |
| Portugal | 16/18 | 16 for beer and wine;18 spirits |
| Switzerland | 16/18 | depending on the canton for beer and wine; 18 in all canto |
| United Kingdom | 16/18 | In bars and off-licensed premises the Minimum Drinking Age and Minimum Purchasing Age are 18. The Minimum Purchasing Age are for beer and cider is 16 when purchased for consumption with meals (except when in a bar). Children over five may consume alcoholic beverages at home with their parent's consent. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 16 | |
| Georgia | 16 | |
| Haiti | 16 | |
| Italy | 16 | |
| Lebanon | 16 | |
| Luxembourg | 16 | |
| Macedonia [FYROM] | 16 | |
| Malta | 16 | |
| Tunisia | 15 | |
| Åland Islands | N/A | |
| American Samoa | N/A | |
| Andorra | N/A | |
| Angola | N/A | |
| Anguilla | N/A | |
| Antarctica | N/A | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | N/A | |
| Armenia | N/A | |
| Aruba | N/A | |
| Barbados | N/A | |
| Benin | N/A | |
| Bermuda | N/A | |
| Bhutan | N/A | |
| Bouvet Island | N/A | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | N/A | |
| Burkina Faso | N/A | |
| Cayman Islands | N/A | |
| Chad | N/A | |
| Christmas Island | N/A | |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | N/A | |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | N/A | |
| Cook Islands | N/A | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | N/A | |
| Djibouti | N/A | |
| Dominica | N/A | |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | N/A | |
| Faroe Islands | N/A | |
| French Guiana | N/A | |
| French Polynesia | N/A | |
| French Southern and Antarctic Lands | N/A | |
| Gibraltar | N/A | |
| Greenland | N/A | |
| Grenada | N/A | |
| Guadeloupe | N/A | |
| Guam | N/A | |
| Guernsey | N/A | |
| Guinea | N/A | |
| Heard Island and McDonald Islands | N/A | |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | N/A | |
| Honduras | N/A | |
| Hong Kong | N/A | |
| Jersey | N/A | |
| Kiribati | N/A | |
| Korea, North | N/A | |
| Liberia | N/A | |
| Liechtenstein | N/A | |
| Macau | N/A | |
| Madagascar | N/A | |
| Maldives | N/A | |
| Mali | N/A | |
| Marshall Islands | N/A | |
| Martinique | N/A | |
| Mauritania | N/A | |
| Mayotte | N/A | |
| Moldova | N/A | |
| Monaco | N/A | |
| Montenegro | N/A | |
| Montserrat | N/A | |
| Burma | N/A | |
| Nauru | N/A | |
| Netherlands Antilles | N/A | |
| New Caledonia | N/A | |
| Niue | N/A | |
| Norfolk Island | N/A | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | N/A | |
| Palestinian territories | N/A | |
| Pitcairn Islands | N/A | |
| Réunion | N/A | |
| Rwanda | N/A | |
| Saint Barthélemy | N/A | |
| Saint Helena | N/A | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | N/A | |
| Saint Lucia | N/A | |
| Saint Martin | N/A | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | N/A | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | N/A | |
| San Marino | N/A | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | N/A | |
| Senegal | N/A | |
| Sierra Leone | N/A | |
| South Georgia and the Islands | N/A | |
| Suriname | N/A | |
| Svalbard | N/A | |
| Syria | N/A | |
| Timor-Leste | N/A | |
| Tokelau | N/A | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | N/A | |
| Tuvalu | N/A | |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | N/A | |
| Uzbekistan | N/A | |
| British Virgin Islands | N/A | |
| Virgin Islands | N/A | |
| Wallis and Futuna | N/A | |
| Western Sahara | N/A | |
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ChartsBin statistics collector team 2009, Minimum Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol around the World, ChartsBin, viewed 3rd September, 2010, <http://chartsbin.com/view/8ft>.
Source
- ICAP 2009, Minimum Age Limits Worldwide, May 2009, International Center for Alcohol Policies, Online, viewed 4th November, 2009, <http://icap.org/table/MinimumAgeLimitsWorldwide>.
- World Health Organization 2009, Global Status Report: Alcohol Policy, 2009, World Health Organization, Geneva 27, Switzerland, viewed 4th November, 2009, <http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/alcoholpolicycountryprofiles/en/index.html>.
- Wikimedia 2009, Legal drinking age, 2009, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Online, viewed 4th November, 2009, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age>.
- Cognac.com 2009, Legal Drinking Age In Different Countries, 2009, Cognac.com, Online, viewed 4th November, 2009, <http://cognac.com/legal-drinking-age-in-different-countries/>.
- SloshSpot.com 2009, Legal Drinking Age Around the World, 2009, SloshSpot.com, Online, viewed 4th November, 2009, <http://www.sloshspot.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=122>.
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