Drinking Age by Country 2025 Updated

The territory held out even after the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 came into effect. Before 1984, the age at which young people could buy alcohol varied by state even more so than when some states raised it to 21. Children can enter a pub, tavern or similar establishment accompanied by a parent if under 16 or 17 years old. However, they must be at least 16 when with their elders to drink or by alcohol. This pertains to public consumption on “licensed premises.” Prince Edward Island, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan allow serving to minors at home.

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They are also allowed to drink alcohol for religious (i.e. during communion) or medicinal purposes. Many states also permit the drinking of alcohol under the age of 21 for religious or health reasons. Health is the state of physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This category includes metrics such as life expectancy, infant mortality rate, disease prevalence, and access to healthcare.

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The country also has experienced greater penalties for drinking on the street as of 2020. In Florence, Italy, where they don’t sell alcohol in stores past 9pm, they issue fines of €500. If you are traveling or studying in Italy, you might need to know what the drinking age is there. Youth ages 16 and over can purchase alcohol with the appropriate identification. Children 16 and 17 years old can receive wine from a parent, but they cannot buy it themselves at a restaurant. In this case, the permission applies to drinking while a meal is served, which usually is how alcohol is consumed when families drink together.

Drinking Ages Around The World

The Minimum Drinking Age in France is 18 for purchases and consumption of all alcoholic beverages. As of 2009, French teenagers could still buy wine, beer, and other fermented beverages at 16. Several other countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and various Pacific islands, also opt for 21, often driven by religious or cultural attitudes. While 21 is stricter than the global average, it remains common in societies seeking to delay youth drinking as long as possible. Malta is unusual in having set its legal drinking age at 17 since 2009, when it was raised from 16. It represents a compromise, designed to curb school-age drinking without removing what had become a social norm.

The legal drinking age varies widely, shaped by a confluence of social values, health concerns, and cultural traditions. From the relaxed regulations in certain cultures to the stringent norms in others, understanding these laws helps us appreciate the complexities of alcohol consumption worldwide. Cambodia, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone, for example, have no formal minimum age for alcohol consumption or purchase. In these cases, informal social norms often dictate behavior more than government regulation. For example, Armenia, Cambodia, and Morocco do not legally restrict the age at which individuals may consume alcohol, although restrictions on purchasing alcohol may still apply. In practice, this means that many young people can access alcohol relatively freely, though cultural norms and enforcement vary.

Impact of Legal Drinking Age on Public Health

• Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, most U.S. states set the legal drinking age at 21.
• However, young people aged 16 and 17 can drink alcohol in public if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Alcohol consumption laws vary widely across the globe, reflecting cultural, legal, and public health priorities.
• While 21 is stricter than the global average, it remains common in societies seeking to delay youth drinking as long as possible.
• They grew up with it, and for some reason, they feel compelled to overindulge more than adults.
• Federal Government because they refused to raise the drinking age to 21 years.

These allowances are relics of older legal systems rather than active endorsements of early drinking. Elsewhere, Antigua and Barbuda permits 16-year-olds to drink in the presence of parents. Most countries, however, have moved away from allowing under-16s legal access to alcohol, citing the established health risks to adolescent development. The consumption of alcoholic beverages before 21 has been linked to long-term health risks, including liver damage, mental health disorders, and academic decline. Additionally, early exposure to alcohol can also increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorder.

In many cases, this age applies to the purchase of alcoholic beverages in public settings. When examining alcohol laws in Africa, one can observe the vast diversity across the continent. For instance, in South Africa, the legal drinking age is set at 18, promoting a culture of legal compliance. However, in other nations like Uganda, where the drinking age is also 18, traditional practices may lead to practices contrary to the law. In some areas, supplementary cultural traditions and tribal rites involve alcohol consumption, often intertwining this aspect of adulthood with heritage and community practices. Such complexity can challenge the effectiveness of enforcing a legal age, highlighting a dichotomy between established law and societal norms.

Selling to Minors

This age is often viewed as a threshold for adulthood, where individuals are expected to take accountability for their actions, including responsible drinking. However, the minimum legal drinking ages (MLDA) differ by country, with some nations allowing alcohol consumption as early as 16, while others restrict it until 21 or even prohibit it entirely. This article explores the history of the legal drinking age in the United States, the youngest drinking ages worldwide, and the current global landscape of alcohol laws. In the United States, the minimum legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages has mainly been 21 years of age since shortly after the passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984. The two exceptions are Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands where the age is 18. The legal drinking age varies by state, and many states have no age requirements for supervised drinking with one’s parents or legal guardians.

These codes also control the content shown on radio and TV or in print or on outdoor signs featuring advertisement. The Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code also regulates the way adult beverages are promoted on social and digital media. While the numbers may vary — 16, 18, 21, or even no minimum at all — each system carries its own logic. The United States has enforced 21 nationwide since 1984, credited with reducing drink-driving fatalities but still debated domestically. The rule means Americans can vote, marry and serve in the military at 18, but cannot legally buy alcohol for another three years. Many European countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, allow 16-year-olds to purchase beer and wine.

• According to the report, more than 50% of people in the Americas, Europe, and the Western Pacific Region (Japan, Australia, Oceania) drank alcoholic beverages in 2016.
• Higher minimum ages often correlate with efforts to reduce youth alcohol abuse, drunk driving, and long-term health consequences.
• Punishments for being caught with an adult beverage in Saudi Arabia include flogging, heavy fines, and imprisonment.
• You can use your passport for your ID at local establishments such as bars or restaurants.
• However, the age raises to 18 when purchasing “spirits” (a.k.a. hard liquor), but 16-year-olds can buy beer or wine.
• Many states also permit the drinking of alcohol under the age of 21 for religious or health reasons.

Each of the states has separate laws that apply to the consumption of alcohol. Countries that have a drinking age of 18 include Argentina, Australia, Bahamas. Drinking in public places, with the exception of designated drinking zones, is prohibited regardless of age. Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, has maintained a drinking age of 18.

Legal drinking age laws aren’t just about thenumbers — they’re reflections of a country’s broader values around health, freedom, and responsibility. Japan ties its drinking age to its cultural “Coming of Age Day”, while Iceland and Lithuania (which increased its age from 18 in 2018) also stand here. It is the standard in much of Europe (France, Spain, Italy), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico), Africa (Kenya, South Africa) and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand).

This doesn’t mean young children are legally downing spirits drinking ages around the world in public; cultural norms and parental supervision still play a significant role. But the absence of legislation leaves the decision largely in the hands of vendors and social custom. On the other end of the spectrum, Eritrea does not permit anyone to drink alcoholic beverages until the age of 25.