No celebrations are ever complete without a drink, but that is just us adults speaking. We all remember drinking for the first time when we were actually legally allowed to. In India, the legal drinking age varies in different states. In Goa, one can get drunk even if they are 18, whereas, in Punjab and Haryana, one needs to be at least 25 years old. Here is the legal drinking age in different countries in the world.
1. Belgium- 16
A 16-year-old is allowed to have beer and wine. What else do people want in Belgium?
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2. South Africa- 18
They are considered to be one of the heaviest drinkers, which is why they also thought of changing their legal drinking age to 21.
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3. Bhutan- 18
Even though the legal age is 18, people start much early than mentioned.
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4. China – 18
Beer (Pijiu) is very popular but drinking alcohol is still mainly a male custom in China.
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5. Hong Kong- 18
They are the new ones on the binge-drinking list.
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6. Japan- 20
Despite the law prohibiting underage drinking, around 50% of junior high school students in Japan reported some experience with alcohol.
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7. Indonesia- 21
Indonesia bans small retail chains from selling beer, wine or alcohol of any type.
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8. Canada* – 19
*except Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.
44% of Canadians have 10 or more drinks every week.
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9. India- 18-25*
* Depending on different states
* Banned in Lakshwadeep, Manipur , Mizoram , Nagaland and Gujarat
You’d be surprised to know that according to Wikipedia , one needs to carry a liquor license obtained from Government Civil Hospital to drink in Maharashtra.
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10. Italy
Wine, Beer or any fermented drink – 16
Distilled alcohol – 18
Wine is an important part of Italy. It is considered to be nourishing and used to be a supplement to the diet of the lower classes that needed additional calories.
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11. UK- 18
On average, they drink 11.6 litres of pure alcohol a year, according to the “Global status report on alcohol and health 2014 ” .
12. Switzerland
Wine, Beer or any fermented drink – 16
Distilled alcohol – 18
They were considered to be heavy drinkers in the 17th century, but the consumption has been decreasing. In 2012, the average consumption was 8.4 litres per person.
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13. Sri Lanka- 21
As surprising as it may seem, women in Sri Lanka apparently don’t drink (alcohol, in case you were wondering).
14. Pakistan
Muslims- forbidden
Non-Muslims – 21
Alcoholism is increasing in Pakistan despite being banned for Muslims.
15. Bahamas- 18
Rum is their national alcoholic beverage. Enough said!
16. Spain-16
Alcohol is in their everyday culture. They produce and consume large amounts of wine.
17. Malaysia- 18
Malaysia has a diverse culture so you will find all kind of people here, from the heavy drinkers to the ones who don’t drink at all.
18. Nepal- 18
Don’t forget to try their favourites: Nepali Ice, Gorkha and Everest.
19. Australia- 18
Heavy drinking is a social norm in Australia, but the consumption is still less than most European countries.
20. Thailand- 20
The favourites include Chang Beer, Thai rum and whiskey. Sang Som rum is also very famous for being extremely strong.
These are the legal drinking age in different countries. So, do you still want to be young again?