In a world where customs and laws vary widely, the legal drinking age stands as one of the most debated and diversified policy areas globally. The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The age limit can differ dramatically from country to country and can have separate rules for consumption and purchase of alcohol.
The highest legal drinking age in the world is found in Eritrea – 25 years. This sets a top benchmark, showing extreme caution towards the potentially harmful effects of alcohol on individuals and their societies.
In contrast, the minimum legal drinking age is 15 years in the Central African Republic and Mali, pointing to a more lenient approach towards alcohol consumption.
The United States, along with 16 other countries, enforces a legal drinking age of 21, which is among the highest globally. Notably, this is driven by a nationwide effort to curtail drunk driving incidents among teens and young adults.
Most of the countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, and China, have set their legal drinking age at 18 years.
Countries like Denmark, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland, reflect a more lenient approach towards alcohol consumption with a legal drinking age of 16.
