--- description: When it comes to hard drinking, they rule title: South Koreans World's Hardest Drinkers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Food and Beverage Industry](/tag/food-and-beverage-industry/) ## Food and Beverage Industry Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # South Koreans Slam Down 11.2 Shots of Hard Liquor Each Week by [Per Liljas](/author/per-liljas/) ## Per Liljas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 11, 2014 6:34 AM CUT by [Per Liljas](/author/per-liljas/) ## Per Liljas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 11, 2014 6:34 AM CUT According to analysis by the global marketing-research firm Euromonitor International, South Koreans [are the world’s biggest consumers](http://www.businessinsider.com/countries-drink-most-liquor-map-2014-2 "undefined") of hard liquor, at 11.2 shots a week on average. They make the world’s second largest consumers, the Russians, seem like lightweights at a mere five shots a week. The caveat that might restore some Slavic pride? Soju, the South Korean liquor that accounts for 97% of the country’s sales, has an average alcohol percentage half of vodka. Depending which set of data you’re looking at (the study is reported in both [Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/countries-drink-most-liquor-map-2014-2 "undefined") and [Quartz](http://qz.com/171191/south-koreans-drink-twice-as-much-liquor-as-russians-and-more-than-four-times-as-much-as-americans/ "undefined")), there is variation over who makes it to the third, fourth and fifth spots, but Thailand and Japan are in both top fives, with honorable mentions to the tipplers of the Philippines, Bulgaria and Poland. \[[BI,](http://www.businessinsider.com/countries-drink-most-liquor-map-2014-2 "undefined") [Quartz](http://qz.com/171191/south-koreans-drink-twice-as-much-liquor-as-russians-and-more-than-four-times-as-much-as-americans/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6616/south-koreans-slam-down-11-2-shots-of-hard-liquor-each-week/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6616/south-koreans-slam-down-11-2-shots-of-hard-liquor-each-week/"},"headline":"South Koreans Slam Down 11.2 Shots of Hard Liquor Each Week","datePublished":"2014-02-11T06:34:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:22:38.341Z","description":"When it comes to hard drinking, they rule","url":"https://time.com/6616/south-koreans-slam-down-11-2-shots-of-hard-liquor-each-week/","keywords":["Food and Beverage Industry","South Korea"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Per Liljas","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/per-liljas/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/food-and-beverage-industry/","name":"Food and Beverage Industry"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6616/south-koreans-slam-down-11-2-shots-of-hard-liquor-each-week/","name":"South Koreans Slam Down 11.2 Shots of Hard Liquor Each Week"}}]}] ```