Menu MINIMUM LEGAL DRINKING AGE Last updated on: 3/10/2016 9:03:10 AM PST Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) in 190 Countries The charts below contain the Minimum Legal Drinking Ages (MLDAs) and related data for 190 independent states recognized by the US State Department as of July 15, 2015. The data were taken from the World Health Organization's 2014 "Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014," unless otherwise noted. No drinking age information was available for Djibouti, Lebanon, Marshall Islands, North Korea, or South Sudan, the other five countries listed by the State Department as independent states. Of the 190 countries, 61% have a drinking age of 18 or 19 years old. The United States and 11 other countries have an MLDA of 21 years old, the highest MLDA of all the countries where it is legal to drink (although some areas of India have drinking ages as high as 25 and 30 years old). Alcohol is banned in 16 countries, all of them Muslim countries, although some have exceptions for non-Muslims. I. Minimum Legal Drinking Ages in 190 Countries (categorized by lowest legal age minimum for any type of alcohol or purchase) No MLDA (19 countries) Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Kosovo, Laos, Mali, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Togo 10-15 MLDA (2 countries) Antigua and Barbuda, Central African Republic converted by Web2PDFConvert.com 16-17 MLDA (21 countries) Austria, Belgium, Congo, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Germany, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland 18-19 MLDA (115 countries) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe 20 MLDA (5 countries) Iceland, Japan, Paraguay, Thailand, Uzbekistan 21 MLDA (12 countries) Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Kiribati, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Samoa, Sri Lanka, United States Illegal to drink alcohol at any age (16 countries) some exceptions for non-Muslims may apply Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen II. Country-by-Country Chart of Minimum Drinking Age Laws When available, each country is linked to a PDF document from the World Health Organization (WHO) detailing its alcohol policy. On premise refers to bars, cafes, restaurants, etc. Off premise refers to liquor stores, wine shops, and supermarkets. Country On Prem ise Off Prem ise Notes Purchase Age Purchase Age Afghanistan Total ban Total ban Albania 18 18 Algeria 18 18 Andorra 18 18 Angola 18 18 Antigua and Barbuda 10 10 Argentina 18 18 Armenia 18 18 Australia 18 18 Austria 16/18 16/18 Alcohol laws vary by state: three states have an age minimum of 16 while six states have a minimum age of 18. Azerbaijan 18 18 Bahamas 18 18 Bahrain Illegal (18 for non- Illegal (18 for non- No info provided by WHO. Alcohol is illegal for Muslims, and drinking in public is forbidden. Only certain places are allowed to Muslims) Muslims) sell alcohol. Bangladesh Total ban Total ban Alcohol is illegal for Muslims and purchase by others is highly restricted. Non-Muslim tourists are allowed to bring two bottles of alcohol for personal use. Barbados 18 18 Sources say children ages 10-17 may drink in the presence of a parent or guardian. Belarus 18 18 Belgium 16/18 16/18 On- and off-premise age minimum is 16 for beer and wine/18 for spirits. Belize 18 18 Benin No age minimum No age minimum Bhutan 18 18 Bolivia No age minimum No age minimum The drinking age used to be listed as 18, but the WHO no longer lists any age minimum. Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 18 Botswana 18 18 Brazil 18 18 Brunei Darussalam Total ban Total ban Non-Muslim tourists over age 17 may be allowed to import 2 bottles of liquor and 12 cans of beer for personal use. Bulgaria 18 18 Burkina Faso No age minimum No age minimum Burundi 18 No age minimum Cambodia No age minimum No age minimum Cameroon No age minimum No age minimum The WHO lists no drinking age; other sources say 18 on-premise and 21 off-premise. Canada 18/19 18/19 18: Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec; 19: British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Yukon Cape Verde 18 18 Central African Republic 21 15 Chad 18 18 Chile 18 18 China No age minimum No age minimum The WHO lists no drinking age; other sources say a 2006 ban instituted a drinking age of 18 but say it is not enforced. Colombia 18 18 Comoros 18 18 Congo 16 18 On-premise age minimum is 16 for beer and wine/18 for spirits. Costa Rica 18 18 Côte d'Ivoire 21 21 Croatia 18 18 Cuba 18 18 converted by Web2PDFConvert.com Cyprus 17 17 Czech Republic 18 18 Country On Prem ise Off Prem ise Notes Purchase Age Purchase Age Democratic Republic of 18 18 the Congo Denmark 18 16/18 Off-premise age minimum is 16 for beer and wine/18 for spirits. Djibouti N/A N/A No info provided by WHO. Dominica 16 16 Dominican Republic 18 18 Ecuador 18 18 Egypt 18/21 18/21 On- and off-premise age minimum is 18 for beer/21 for wine and spirits. El Salvador 18 18 Equatorial Guinea 21 21 Eritrea 18 18 Estonia 18 18 Ethiopia 18 18 Fiji 18 18 Finland 18 18/20 Off-premise age minimum is 18 for beer and wine/20 for spirits. France 18 18 Gabon 18 No age minimum Gambia 18 18 Georgia 18 18 Germany 16/18 16/18 On- and off-premise age minimum is 16 for beer and wine/18 for spirits. Ghana 18 18 Greece 18 18 Grenada 16 16 Guatemala 18 18 Guinea 18 18 Guinea-Bissau No age minimum No age minimum Guyana 18 16 Haiti 16 16 No info provided by WHO; other sources list drinking age as 16. Honduras 18 18 Hungary 18 18 Iceland 20 20 India 18-25 18-25 The drinking age varies by state. In New Delhi, for example, the drinking age is 25, while in Goa it is 18. Mahrashtra's Wardha district has a drinking age of 30. Indonesia No age minimum 21 Iran Total ban Total ban The alcohol ban was instituted after the 1979 revolution. In 2012, an Iranian news organization reported that two people were sentenced to death for drinking alcohol following two previous convictions for those same people, for which each received 80 lashes. A 2004 WHO report noted that "Religious minorities can buy alcoholic beverages from very few specifically licensed shops owned by shopkeepers of the same minority." Iraq 21 21 Sources say only Iraqi Christians are permitted to sell alcohol; alcohol sales were banned entirely from 2006-08. Ireland 18 18 Israel 18 18 Italy 18 18 Jamaica 18 18 Japan 20 20 Jordan 18 18 Kazakhstan 18 18 Kenya 18 18 Kiribati 21 21 Kosovo No age minimum No age minimum No info provided by WHO; other sources list no age minimum or say the drinking age is 18. Country On Prem ise Off Prem ise Notes Purchase Age Purchase Age Kuwait Total ban Total ban No info provided by WHO; Alcohol has been banned since 1964 and drinking has been a criminal offense since 1983. Kyrgyzstan 18 18 Laos 18/No No age minimum On-premise age minimum is 18 for beer; no age minimum listed for wine or spirits. Latvia 18 18 Lebanon N/A N/A No info provided by WHO; other sources list 16 or 18 as the drinking age Lesotho 18 18 Liberia 18 18 Libya Total ban Total ban Liechtenstein 16/18 16/18 No info provided by WHO; other sources list 16 for beer and wine/18 for spirits. Lithuania 18 18 Luxembourg 16 16 Macedonia 18 18 Madagascar 18 18 Malawi 18 18 Malaysia 18 18 Maldives Total ban Total ban Mali No age minimum No age minimum Malta 17 17 Marshall Islands N/A N/A No info provided by WHO. Mauritania Total ban Total ban Mauritius 18 18 Mexico 18 18 Micronesia 21 21 Moldova 18 18 Monaco 18 18 Mongolia 21 21 converted by Web2PDFConvert.com Montenegro 18 18 Morocco 16/18 16/18 No info provided by WHO; other sources list 16 or 18 as the drinking age. Mozambique 18 18 Myanmar 18 18 Namibia 18 18 Nauru 21 21 No info provided by WHO; other sources list 21 as the drinking age. Nepal 18 18 Netherlands 18 18 The WHO lists age 16 as the on- and off-premise age minimum for beer, but the Netherlands government website says that as of Jan.