Alcohol consumption is a complex topic with many factors to consider. The legal drinking age, cultural attitudes, and accessibility of alcoholic beverages all play a role in determining when and how much people drink. With such variation worldwide, an interesting question arises – what country has the youngest average age for starting to drink alcohol?
What influences the age people start drinking?
There are several key factors that influence when people begin drinking alcohol:
- Legal drinking age – Countries with a lower minimum legal drinking age are more likely to have a younger average age of starting to drink.
- Cultural attitudes – Cultures that are more permissive of alcohol use tend to have younger drinking ages.
- Religious beliefs – Religions that discourage alcohol use, such as Islam, impact the average age.
- Accessibility – Areas where alcohol is widely available and affordable make it easier for youth to obtain it.
- Economic development – Poorer countries tend to have older drinking ages, while wealthier countries have younger ages.
- Prevalence of drinking – Places where drinking is more common see drinking start at younger ages.
These factors interact in complex ways. For example, a country may have a low legal age but strong cultural prohibitions against youth drinking that counteract the law. Looking comprehensively across multiple influences provides the best picture of where people start drinking youngest on average.
Data on age of first drink around the world
Large global surveys provide data to compare drinking ages across countries. The two most insightful surveys are:
- The Global Drug Survey – an annual anonymous online survey about drug and alcohol use, with over 30,000 respondents across 30 countries.
- The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) – a comprehensive survey of 15-16 year old students in Europe collected every 4 years.
These surveys reveal significant regional and national differences in typical drinking ages. Some key insights:
- Countries with the youngest averages tend to be in Europe.
- Drinking starts latest in the predominantly Muslim countries.
- There is wide variation within continents. In Europe, typical starting ages range from 13-16 years old.
- Economic development plays a role, with early drinking more common in wealthier nations.
- Cultural attitudes impact age, with southern European countries starting earlier than northern countries.
This data demonstrates the complexity in pinpointing the country with the absolute youngest drinking age. Nonetheless, the compiled statistics provide a reasonably clear answer…
And the winner is… Denmark!
Based on multiple international surveys, Denmark reports the youngest average age for having the first alcoholic drink. Here are the details:
- The ESPAD survey found over half of Danish 15-16 year old students had tried alcohol.
- In the Global Drug Survey, the average starting age given by Danish respondents was 14 years old.
- Almost no respondents from Denmark reported being over 16 when they first drank alcohol.
Denmark’s status reflects several supporting factors:
- The legal drinking age is only 16 for beverages under 16.5% alcohol.
- There are few restrictions around drinking in private residences.
- Alcohol is widely available in stores, bars, and restaurants.
- Drinking is culturally acceptable, even for youth in many situations.
In combination, these influences normalize early alcohol consumption. Danish parents often allow drinking from around age 13-14, leading to the youngest drinking average globally.
Runners up for young drinking ages
While Denmark tops the international rankings, several other countries also report very early average drinking ages in the 13-15 range:
- United Kingdom – Average age 14
- Belgium – Average age 14
- Greece – Average age 15
- Italy – Average age 14
Drinking starts earliest in certain European nations, but is notably later in others. For example, average debut ages are closer to 16 in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. Affluence and permissive drinking cultures prevail across Europe, but local attitudes and controls create major differences.
Where do people start drinking the latest?
At the other end of the spectrum from Denmark, several countries report substantially later average ages of first drink:
- Indonesia – Average age 21
- Pakistan – Average age 16+
- Thailand – Average age 18
- China – Average age 18
The strongest trends in these countries include:
- Predominantly Muslim populations discouraging alcohol use.
- Strict social rules against drinking, especially for younger people.
- Lower economic development and reduced alcohol availability.
- Legal drinking ages of 18+ years old.
Cultural and religious objections to alcohol consumption exert considerable influence in Muslim countries. But even in non-Muslim Asian countries, social norms favor later drinking ages than the European average.
The United States drinking age debate
The United States presents an interesting case example. The US legally mandates one of the oldest drinking ages globally at 21 years old. Despite this, actual behavior differs:
- Almost 60% of US high school students have tried alcohol.
- The average American takes their first drink around age 16-17.
- Underage drinking is extremely common, though still clandestine.
This reflects a disconnect between the law and cultural realities in the US. While officially stringent, in practice there is still considerable teen alcohol use. The 21 year old drinking age appears to be circumvented regularly.
Conclusion
Reviewing global drinking data makes Denmark stand out for having the youngest average age for starting alcohol consumption – centered around 14 years old. Multiple factors enable early drinking there, especially cultural acceptance and loose regulations. Countries with the oldest debut ages tend to be in Asia or the Muslim world. Despite variations worldwide, the teenage years remain the most common time to begin drinking across most nations.