How much do we drink in Ireland?

Per capita consumption

Globally, alcohol use is quantified and compared across countries by determining the alcohol per capita (APC) use of a country and measuring against alcohol-related harms. Monitoring APC allows countries to assess public health, make international comparisons, track trends over time, and evaluate the impact of policies.

In Ireland in 2025, alcohol consumption was 9.24 litres of pure alcohol per capita aged 15 years or older. This represents a fall of more than 16% since the passage of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act in 2018.

However, it is still above the modest government target that Ireland should reduce its use to 9.1 litres per capita – a target originally set in 2013 and to be achieved by 2020.

It should be noted that if everyone was to drink at HSE lower-risk guideline levels, the per capita consumption level would be 6.5 litres, which is 30% lower than current drinking levels.

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