Demographic Variation in Weekly Alcohol Use Across Countries: A Cross-National Analysis in the Global Flourishing Study

Background: Alcohol beverages are the group of psychoactive substances with the most cultural and legal acceptance worldwide, so there is abundant empirical literature available about the relationships between people's wellbeing and alcohol. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study (N=202,898) and evaluated the distribution of mean of weekly alcohol use, the proportion of drinkers, and the mean of weekly alcohol use across key demographic variables. Results are synthesized in a random-effects metanalysis with the 22 countries. Results: Overall, alcohol intake was found to be associated with age, gender, employment, education, and religiosity. Countries with better wellbeing scores and a lower prevalence of Muslims reported higher rates of alcohol use. There were some variations of these associations among countries. Conclusions: This study highlights significant global differences in alcohol consumption patterns influenced by demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors. Future research needs to explore these complex interactions to inform more effective global alcohol policies tailored to the characteristics of each country.