Key drinking stats about Hungary

Total alcohol per capita (15+) consumption, drinkers only (in litres of pure alcohol), 2010
Males (15+) 23.8
Females (15+) 9.1
Both sexes (15+) 16.3

Prevalence of heavy episodic drinking* (%), 2010
Population / Drinkers only
Males (15+) 44.5 / 52.1
Females (15+) 10.3 / 13.2
Both sexes (15+) 26.3 / 32.3

Prevalence of alcohol use disorders and alcohol dependence (%), 2010
Alcohol use disorders / Alcohol dependence
Males 31.0 / 16.5
Females 6.0 / 3.2
Both sexes 17.7 / 9.4
WHO European Region 7.5 / 4.0

Worldwide, 3.3 million people died in 2012 due to harmful use of alcohol, says a new report launched by the World Health Organization (WHO). Alcohol consumption not only can lead to dependence but also increases people's risk of developing more than 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers.

"More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption," says Oleg Chestnov, WHO Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. "The report clearly shows that there is no room for complacency when it comes to reducing the harmful use of alcohol."

The Region of the Americas has the second-highest per capita alcohol consumption among WHO regions, after Europe. It also has the second-highest (after Europe) rates of heavy episodic drinking, a drinking pattern associated with harmful effects on health. In addition, the region has the lowest rate of lifetime abstention from alcohol use.

Some countries are already strengthening measures to protect people. These include increasing taxes on alcohol, limiting the availability of alcohol by raising the age limit, and regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages.

The report also highlights the need for action by countries including:

• national leadership to develop policies to reduce harmful use of alcohol; (66 WHO Member States had written national alcohol policies in 2012)

• national awareness-raising activities; (Nearly 140 countries reported at least one such activity in the past three years)

• health services to deliver prevention and treatment services, in particular increasing prevention, treatment and care for patients and their families, and supporting initiatives for screening and brief interventions.

In addition the report shows the need for communities to be engaged in reducing harmful use of alcohol.

On average every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year. But as less than half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol, this means that those who do drink consume on average 17 litres of pure alcohol annually.

The report also points to the fact that a higher percentage of men than women die from alcohol-related causes - 7.6% of men and 4% of women — though there is evidence that women may be more vulnerable to alcohol-related harm compared to men. In addition, the authors note that there is concern over the steady increase in alcohol use among women.

"We found that worldwide about 16% of drinkers engage in heavy episodic drinking - often referred to as 'binge-drinking' - which is the most harmful to health," explains Dr Shekhar Saxena, Director for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO.

"Lower-income groups are more affected by the social and health consequences of alcohol. They often lack quality health care and are less protected by functional family or community networks."

Globally, Europe is the region with the highest consumption of alcohol per captia, with some of its countries having particularly high consumption rates. Trend analysis shows that the consumption level is stable over the last 5 years in the region, as well as in Africa and the Americas, though increases have been reported in the South-East Asia and the Western Pacific regions.

The latest WHO Global status report on alcohol and health is available for download here.