Alcohol Causes Nearly 3 Million Deaths Annually, Reports WHO
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol kills nearly three million people globally each year. Although the death rate has seen a slight decline in recent years, it remains "unacceptably high". In 2019, alcohol consumption was attributed to 2.6 million deaths, which accounted for 4.7% of all deaths worldwide that year. Men represented nearly three-quarters of these fatalities. The highest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths occurred among individuals aged 20 to 39.
The WHO report highlighted the significant health and social burdens associated with alcohol use. An estimated 209 million people lived with alcohol dependence in 2019, representing 3.7% of the global population. The report also noted that alcohol consumption is unevenly distributed globally, with Europe having the highest levels of per capita drinking at 9.2 liters, followed by the Americas at 7.5 liters. Despite a slight decrease in total per capita consumption worldwide, the health impacts remain significant. The WHO called for improved access to quality treatment for substance use disorders to address this ongoing public health issue.
