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Link Oktoberfest is the most popular beer festival in the world, but it's not the Germans who love beer the most. Photo: AP

Which nation is most enamoured by those sweet amber suds?

You might be forgiven for guessing Australia, since our love of lager is world-renowned.

But you'd be wrong. The answer to that question is resounding: the Czech Republic. According to research by the Japanese beverage company Kirin, the country has topped the per capita beer drinking table for 23 consecutive years.

In 2015, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the Czechs drank 142.4 litres per person. That's the equivalent of 250 pints – one one every 35 hours. But, given that minors are unlikely to be contributing to that figure, it's safe to assume that the average beer drinker probably guzzles quite a bit more. Nipping at the Czech Republic's heels are the usual pretenders. Austria and Germany come third and fourth, Poland sixth and Ireland seventh.

There are some surprises, however. In second place is the Seychelles, a lofty ranking which we'll put down to the hot climate and the large number of holidaymakers. Namibia, meanwhile, takes fifth spot – surely that's down to colonial ties with Germany.

Giving that drinking large quantities of lager can sometimes feel like our national sport, it's also surprising to see the Australia down in 19th overall, with a consumption rate of 72.4 liters per capita, behind the United States (17th, 75.8 litres) but higher than the UK (27th, 67.7 litres) and New Zealand (32nd, 62.7 litres).

The world's biggest beer drinkers

Czech Republic - 142.4 litres per capita Seychelles - 114.6 Austria - 104.7 Germany - 104.7 Namibia - 102.7 Poland - 99 Ireland - 97.5 Lithuania - 97.1 Belize - 94.7 Romania - 92.1

See also: Quiz: How well do you know the world's beers?


What about total alcohol consumption per capita?

When it comes to overall alcohol consumption, a new top dog emerges. Belarus is the world's booziest nation, with the average Joe (or Sergei) consumes 17.5 litres of pure alcohol per year – that's equivalent to 179 bottles of wine, or 1,750 shots of vodka.

The world's booziest nations

Belarus - 17.5 litres of pure alcohol per capita Moldova - 16.8 Lithuania - 15.4 Russia - 15.1 Romania - 14.4 Ukraine - 13.9 Andorra - 13.8 Hungary - 13.3 Czech Republic - 13 Slovakia - 13

How about wine?

We also recently worked out which countries quaff the most wine per capita. The proud title of most fervent vino guzzler goes to Andorra. According to the Wine Institute, the country consumed 3,936,000 litres of wine in 2014 (the most recent year for which comprehensive statistics are available). Given that just 69,165 people call the Pyrenean principality home, according to the UN, that's an impressive 56.9 litres per head. Or the equivalent of 76 bottles.

The biggest wine drinkers

Andorra - 56.9 litres per capita Vatican City - 56.2 Croatia - 46.9 Portugal - 43.7 France - 43.1 Slovenia - 42.5 Macedonia - 40.4 Falkland Islands - 38.5 Switzerland - 37 Italy - 34.1

The Telegraph, London

See also: Countries that enjoy drinking alcohol even more than Australia

See also: Holiday destinations where you can't drink

Quiz: How well do you know the world's beers?