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Minimum Legal Age for Buying Alcohol around the World

Minimum Legal Age for Buying Alcohol around the World

This chart shows legal age for purchasing alcohol around the world.

14 years ago
Country Info
Country nameAlcohol purchase ageNote
AlbaniaNone
CambodiaNone
ComorosNone
Equatorial GuineaNone
GabonNone
GhanaNone
GreeceNone
Guinea-BissauNone
KyrgyzstanNone
LuxembourgNone
NepalNone
Solomon IslandsNone
TogoNone
TongaNone
BahrainIllegal21 for non-Muslim population
OmanIllegal21 for non-Muslim population
PakistanIllegal21 for non-Muslim population
QatarIllegal21 for non-Muslim population
SomaliaIllegal21 for non-Muslim population
United Arab EmiratesIllegal21 for non-Muslim population
AfghanistanIllegal
BangladeshIllegal
BruneiIllegal
Gambia, TheIllegal18 for non-Muslim population 5% of total population
IranIllegal
KuwaitIllegal
LibyaIllegal
Saudi ArabiaIllegal
SudanIllegal
YemenIllegal
Cameroon21
Fiji21
Indonesia21
Kazakhstan21
Micronesia, Federated States of21
Palau21
Sri Lanka21
Tajikistan21
United States21
Iceland20
Japan20
Paraguay20
Korea, South19
Nicaragua19
Egypt18/2118 for beer; 21 for wine and spirits
New Zealand1818 year olds will still be permitted to drink/buy 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.
Norway18/2018 but 20 for spirits defined as 22% ABV
Canada18/1918 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.
India18 to 2518 to 25 depending on state
Burundi1818 unless accompanied by parents
Spain1816 in Asturias
Sweden1820 but 18 for beer with ABV of 3.5% or less
Algeria18
Argentina18
Australia18
Azerbaijan18
Bahamas, The18
Belarus18
Belize18
Bolivia18
Botswana18
Brazil18
Bulgaria18
Cape Verde18
Central African Republic18
Chile18
China18
Colombia18
Congo, Republic of the18
Costa Rica18
Croatia18
Cuba18
Czech Republic18
Dominican Republic18
Ecuador18
El Salvador18
Eritrea18
Estonia18
Ethiopia18
Finland18
France18
Guatemala18
Guyana18
Hungary18
Iraq18
Ireland18
Isle of Man1816 in public with a meal 18 otherwise
Israel18
Jordan18
Kenya18
Laos18
Latvia18
Lesotho18
Lithuania18
Malawi18
Malaysia18
Mauritius18
Mexico18
Mongolia18
Mozambique18
Namibia18
Niger18
Nigeria18
Panama18
Papua New Guinea18
Peru18
Philippines18
Poland18
Puerto Rico18
Romania18Ref needed
Russia18
Samoa18
Serbia18Ref needed
Seychelles18
Singapore18
Slovakia18
Slovenia18
South Africa18
Swaziland18
Taiwan18
Tanzania18
Thailand18
Trinidad and Tobago18
Turkey18
Turkmenistan18
Uganda18
Ukraine18
United Kingdom18In 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.
Uruguay18
Vanuatu18
Venezuela18
Vietnam18Ref needed
Zambia18
Zimbabwe18
Cyprus17
Austria16/18For 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).
Belgium16/18Drinking - 16 beer and wine; 18 for spirits | Purchase - None for beer and wine;18 for spirits
Germany16/1816 for beer and wine;18 spirits
Netherlands16/1816 but 18 for spirits that have an ABV of over 15%
Portugal16/1816 for beer and wine;18 spirits
Switzerland16/18depending on the canton for beer and wine; 18 in all canto
Bosnia and Herzegovina16
Denmark16There 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.
Georgia16
Haiti16
Italy16
Jamaica16
Lebanon16
Macedonia [FYROM]16
Malta16
Morocco16
Tunisia15
Åland IslandsN/A
American SamoaN/A
AndorraN/A
AngolaN/A
AnguillaN/A
AntarcticaN/A
Antigua and BarbudaN/A
ArmeniaN/A
ArubaN/A
BarbadosN/A
BeninN/A
BermudaN/A
BhutanN/A
Bouvet IslandN/A
British Indian Ocean TerritoryN/A
Burkina FasoN/A
Cayman IslandsN/A
ChadN/A
Christmas IslandN/A
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsN/A
Congo, Democratic Republic of theN/A
Cook IslandsN/A
Côte d'IvoireN/A
DjiboutiN/A
DominicaN/A
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)N/A
Faroe IslandsN/A
French GuianaN/A
French PolynesiaN/A
French Southern and Antarctic LandsN/A
GibraltarN/A
GreenlandN/A
GrenadaN/A
GuadeloupeN/A
GuamN/A
GuernseyN/A
GuineaN/A
Heard Island and McDonald IslandsN/A
Holy See (Vatican City)N/A
HondurasN/A
Hong KongN/A
JerseyN/A
KiribatiN/A
Korea, NorthN/A
LiberiaN/A
LiechtensteinN/A
MacauN/A
MadagascarN/A
MaldivesN/A
MaliN/A
Marshall IslandsN/A
MartiniqueN/A
MauritaniaN/A
MayotteN/A
MoldovaN/A
MonacoN/A
MontenegroN/A
MontserratN/A
BurmaN/A
NauruN/A
Netherlands AntillesN/A
New CaledoniaN/A
NiueN/A
Norfolk IslandN/A
Northern Mariana IslandsN/A
Palestinian territoriesN/A
Pitcairn IslandsN/A
RéunionN/A
RwandaN/A
Saint BarthélemyN/A
Saint HelenaN/A
Saint Kitts and NevisN/A
Saint LuciaN/A
Saint MartinN/A
Saint Pierre and MiquelonN/A
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesN/A
San MarinoN/A
Sao Tome and PrincipeN/A
SenegalN/A
Sierra LeoneN/A
South Georgia and the IslandsN/A
SurinameN/A
SvalbardN/A
SyriaN/A
Timor-LesteN/A
TokelauN/A
Turks and Caicos IslandsN/A
TuvaluN/A
United States Minor Outlying IslandsN/A
UzbekistanN/A
British Virgin IslandsN/A
Virgin IslandsN/A
Wallis and FutunaN/A
Western SaharaN/A
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ChartsBin statistics collector team 2010, Minimum Legal Age for Buying Alcohol around the World, ChartsBin.com, viewed 21st November, 2024, <http://chartsbin.com/view/l7k>.
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