Canada: Total alcohol consumption per capita, male (liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, male 15+ years of age)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Canada's total alcohol consumption per capita, male (liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, male 15+ years of age) did not change 0 on 2019 (from 15.59 to 15.59).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +0.04 and a typical year strayed about 0.13 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.3 in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.16 in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.05 a year. A straight line explains 78% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 15.31 for 2023. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2018 to 2020 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.06, against 0.09 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2020, Canada had the 28th highest value of the 185 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Canada in the 2020 ranking

• Australia — 25th of 185: 15.92
• Switzerland — 26th of 185: 15.68
• Seychelles — 27th of 185: 15.67
• United States — 29th of 185: 15.54
• New Zealand — 30th of 185: 15.53
• Ukraine — 31st of 185: 15.5

What this measures

Total alcohol per capita consumption is defined as the total (sum of recorded and unrecorded alcohol) amount of alcohol consumed per person (15 years of age or older) over a calendar year, in litres of pure alcohol, adjusted for tourist consumption.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 21 values

Total alcohol consumption per capita, male (liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, male 15+ years of age) in nearby economies

• United States — 15.54 (2020)

More health data for Canada

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.57% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 4.87% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 3.05 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 14.53% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 3.19 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 15.44% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 6.24 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 14.98% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 4.85% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Canada's total alcohol consumption per capita, male (liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, male 15+ years of age)?

15.59 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.ALC.PCAP.MA.LI, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: https://www.who.int/data/gho Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.