NEW DELHI – In some Asian countries, people drink a lot. In others, people cannot even finish a glass.

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People in South Korea were the most prolific drinkers in Asia, according to the WHO. On average, South Koreans, over the age of 15, drink 10.9 liters of alcohol a year.

South Koreans drink copious amounts of alcohol so much so that no other country came close to their per capita consumption. The reason for this unparalleled liquor consumption was ascribed to the country’s liking for Soju – the fermented rice drink.

Vietnam came in second to South Korea in alcohol consumption. The country was said to have seen a rising level of alcohol drinking. Thailand was at third place in Asia.

Meanwhile, Mongolia and China were at close fourth and fifth position in Asia, respectively. In China, the increasing alcohol consumption was attributed to their culture, as “drinking with colleagues is seen as vital to career advancement.”

Japan, which has been the so-called drinkers’ paradise, has seen a decline in alcohol consumption as it shared sixth place with Laos. Both countries have been found to have equal per capita consumption of alcohol.

Though ranked lower than other countries, Cambodia’s drinking habits are on the upswing.

As for the Philippines, its growing local breweries indicated that the drinking culture has seeped into the country amid increased urbanization.

Singapore has stringent laws for drinking, hence, the low alcohol consumption.

India was ranked 10th, and Sri Lanka was ranked 11th in alcohol consumption in Asia.

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Nepal, meanwhile, remained one of Asia’s least drinking countries even if a high number of people in Nepal drink.

Bhutan, on the other hand, registered low alcohol consumption although drinking is an integral part of Bhutanese culture.

Most sober countries

Unsurprisingly, mostly Muslim states, where the sale and consumption of alcohol is restricted, were the most abstinent.

In Indonesia and Bangladesh, the average citizen drinks hardly a bottle of wine in a year. The lowest alcohol consumption was reported in Pakistan at nearly zero. /kga

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