Humans love alcohol. With the exception of a few Islamic nations, the sale and consumption of various spiked beverages – and the social culture that goes along with such activities – flourish across the globe. According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report, people above the age of 15 drank the equivalent of 6.4 liters (1.7 gallons) of pure ethanol each in 2016.
When comparing different regions, the WHO found that residents of European countries drank the most per capita, coming in at 9.8 liters (2.6 gallons) per year. People in the Americas were second (8.0 liters or 2.11 gallons), followed by those in the Western Pacific (which includes much of Asia, the Pacific Island nations, Australia, and New Zealand; 7.3 liters or 1.9 gallons), Africa (6.3 liters or 1.7 gallons), and Southeast Asia (4.5 liters or 1.2 gallons). As expected, adults in the Eastern Mediterranean zone consumed far, far less; only an estimated 0.6 liters (0.16 gallons) per capita per year.
In the United States specifically, alcohol consumption is up there with Europe: WHO data shows that we imbibed around 9.8 liters (2.6 gallons) each in 2016. Considering our nation’s well-established wine and microbrew beer industries, plus our growing fetish for craft spirits, this finding is not too surprising. But how do the individual states compare?
In order to find out how regional differences in drinking culture affect state-by-state consumption, Newsweek compiled data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. To see where your state stands, take a look at the rankings below, listed in order of least to most pure alcohol consumption per person per year.
Utah: 1.34 gallons. That this outhwest state came in first place (or last, depending on your perspective) is no great shock. Newsweek writes that Utah’s large Mormon population gives it a larger proportion of teetotalers than other states. In addition, the deep political influence of this religious group has led to the most restrictive alcohol purchasing laws in the country.
West Virginia: 1.76 gallons
Arkansas: 1.80 gallons
Oklahoma: 1.88 gallons
Kansas: 1.92 gallons
Georgia: 1.94 gallons
Kentucky: 1.98 gallons
Alabama: 2.01 gallons
Ohio: 2.04 gallons
North Carolina: 2.13 gallons
Virginia: 2.14 gallons
Tennessee: 2.14 gallons
Maryland: 2.15 gallons
Indiana: 2.17 gallons
South Carolina: 2.22 gallons
New York: 2.22 gallons
Nebraska: 2.23 gallons
Mississippi: 2.23 gallons
Washington: 2.26 gallons
New Mexico: 2.27 gallons
Arizona: 2.31 gallons
Illinois: 2.32 gallons
California: 2.33 gallons
Texas: 2.34 gallons
New Jersey: 2.34 gallons
Michigan: 2.34 gallons
Pennsylvania: 2.36 gallons
Iowa: 2.40 gallons
Connecticut: 2.45 gallons
Missouri: 2.49 gallons
Rhode Island: 2.57 gallons
Massachusetts: 2.57 gallons
Louisiana: 2.59 gallons
Hawaii: 2.63 gallons
Florida: 2.65 gallons
Wyoming: 2.67 gallons
Oregon: 2.75 gallons
Minnesota: 2.77 gallons
Maine: 2.81 gallons
Colorado: 2.81 gallons
South Dakota: 2.87 gallons
Idaho: 2.92 gallons
Alaska: 2.94 gallons
Wisconsin: 2.98 gallons
Vermont: 3.08 gallons
Montana: 3.11 gallons
North Dakota: 3.26 gallons
Nevada: 3.46 gallons
Delaware: 3.72 gallons
District of Columbia: 3.85 gallons
New Hampshire: 4.76 gallons. With a rate of consumption that is three times higher than the states at the top of the list, it might appear that the residents of New Hampshire are more prone to worrying relationships with alcohol than those in other areas. Yet this number is likely inflated by residents of nearby East Coast states who come into New Hampshire to stock up on wine, beer, and liquor because the state has no sales tax. The other four US states that have no sales tax – Alaska, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon – are also far down on the list.