Map showing the legal age for buying alcohol around the World

The legal drinking age varies around the world in general, from countries in Europe where people may consume alcoholic beverages from a young age, generally 16 or 17, to states in India where the drinking age is as high as 25.

Africa

Country / Region	De jure		Notes
	Drinking age	Purchase age
Botswana	16
Cameroon	18	21	18 on-premise, 21 off-premise
Egypt	18
Eritrea	16
Ethiopia	18
Ghana	18
Malawi	18
Mauritius	none
Morocco	none	16
Namibia	18
Niger	18
Nigeria	18
Rwanda	18
South Africa	18
Swaziland	none	18
Sudan	illegal
Uganda	18
Tunisia	15
Zambia	16
Zimbabwe	16

Americas

Country / region	De jure		Notes
	Drinking Age	Purchase Age
Argentina	18
Bahamas	18
Belize	18
Bermuda	18
Bolivia	18
Brazil	18
Canada	18		in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec. Underage drinking by 16-17 year olds under parental supervision is permitted in Manitoba. Underage drinking by minors, under parental supervision in a residence or a temporary residence, is permitted in Alberta .
	19		in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut. Underage drinking under parental supervision is permitted at home in the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan. (To be clear, in British Columbia, only children of the supervising parents are allowed underage drinking, not any other minors or guests. Consumption of alcohol in another person's home is subject to other laws.)
Chile	18
Colombia	18
Costa Rica	18
Cuba	none	18
Dominican Republic	18
Ecuador	18
El Salvador	18
Guatemala	18
Haiti	16
Honduras	18
Jamaica	18
Mexico	18
Nicaragua	19
Panama	18
Paraguay	20
Peru	18
Puerto Rico	18
United States (50 States and D.C.)	21		The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 states that revenue will be withheld from states that allow the purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21. Prior to the effective date of that Act, the drinking age varied from state to state. Some states do not allow those under the legal drinking age to be present in liquor stores or in bars (usually, the difference between a bar and a restaurant is whether food is being served). Contrary to popular belief, since the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, few states specifically prohibit minor' and young adults' consumption of alcohol in private settings. As of January 1, 2007, 14 states and the District of Columbia ban underage consumption outright, 19 states do not specifically ban underage consumption, and an additional 17 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws. Federal law explicitly provides for religious, medical, employment and private club possession exceptions; as of 2005, 31 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage possession laws. However, non-alcoholic beer in many (but not all) states, some including Idaho, Texas, and Maryland, is considered legal for minors (those under the age of 21). By a judge's ruling, South Carolina appears to currently allow the possession and consumption of alcohol by those 18–20 years of age, though a circuit court judge said otherwise.
Uruguay	18
Venezuela	18

Asia

Country / region	De jure		Notes
	Drinking Age	Purchase Age
Afghanistan	illegal
Armenia	none
Azerbaijan	18
Brunei	illegal
Bangladesh	illegal
Cambodia	none
Cyprus	17
People's Republic of China	18		Introduced in January 2006.
Georgia	none	16
Hong Kong	18
India	18–25 (varies between states eg. 25 in Delhi).		Consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the states of Manipur and Mizoram.
Indonesia	21
Iran	illegal		Legal for certain religious groups if required for ceremonies.
Iraq	18
Israel	18
Jordan	18
Japan	20
Kuwait	illegal
Lebanon	none
Macau	none	none
Malaysia	none	18
Mongolia	18
Nepal	18	None
North Korea	18		Alcoholic beverages are served on Saturdays.
Pakistan	Illegal, 21 for non-Muslims
Philippines	18	18
Saudi Arabia	illegal		Forbidden by Sharia (Islamic Law, with qur'anic and other traditional legal inspirations). Offenders are typically punished with lashes.
Singapore	18
South Korea	19		Whoever is Korean age of 19 can drink and purchase alcohol (18 in regular age)
Sri Lanka	21
Taiwan	18		It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to consume alcohol. Parents, guardians, and others taking care of people under 18 shall prohibit underage drinking, or risk administrative fines of 10000 to 50000 new Taiwan dollars when the situations are serious. One shall not supply alcohol to anyone under the age of 6. A violator shall be administratively fined 3000 to 15000 new Taiwan dollars.
Tajikstan	21
Thailand	none	18
Turkey	18		Some new laws were introduced since 2005, by the AK Parti government.A minimum of 16 years of age are allowed to drink non-distilled beverages while being accompanied by parents.
Turkmenistan	18
United Arab Emirates	21		Expatriate, non-Muslim residents may request a liquor permit to purchase alcoholic beverages; it is illegal for such holders to provide drinks to others.
Yemen	illegal

Europe

Country / region	De jure		Notes
	Drinking Age	Purchase Age
Albania	none
Austria	16, 18 for distilled beverages in some states		Upper Austria, Salzburg and Tirol prohibit the consumption of distilled beverages below the age of 18, while Carinthia and Styria prohibit drinks containing more than 12% or 14% of alcohol respectively in this age bracket. Carinthia additionally requires adolescents to maintain a blood alcohol level below 0.05%, while Upper Austria prohibits "excessive consumption", and Salzburg prohibits consumption that would result in a state of intoxication. Prohibitions in Vienna, Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vorarlberg apply only to alcohol consumption in public. Vienna additionally prohibits the consumption of alcohol in schools under the age of 18.
Belarus	18
Belgium	(Bars etc.) 16 / 18 for distilled & strong spirits (>22%)	16 / 18 for distilled & strong spirits (>22%)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	16	18
Bulgaria	18
Croatia	18
Cyprus	17
Czech Republic	18
Denmark	none	16 (Shops), 18 (Bars)	To buy alcohol in stores one must be 16, however some bars have a limit at 18. There is no drinking age, only a purchase age, and an adult can buy alcohol for a minor. By tradition youths are privately allowed to drink alcohol after their confirmation. If a shop or bar fails to ask for an ID-card and they are identified having sold alcohol to an underage, they are fined. A national ID-card, obtained in the local town hall, can serve as age verification. This card is rarely used though, since a passport or moped-licence can be used.
Estonia	18
Finland	none	18 (up to 22% ABV in stores and all alcohol in bars), 20 (all alcohol); alcohol may not be sold to intoxicated customers.
France	none	18	Buying alcohol is illegal below the age of 18 . Selling alcohol to a minor can be fined € 7,500 . The law has been changed recently Drinking alcohol is not forbidden to minors in private, but supplying them with alcohol which results in intoxication is.
Germany	16, 18 for distilled beverage,14 together with parents	16, 18 for distilled beverages	Possession or consumption of alcohol by minors is not outlawed, but it is illegal to sell them alcohol or let them drink in public below the respective drinking age. Fermented alcoholic beverages may be consumed by minors in public when in presence of a legal guardian; drinking in private is not controlled. The restrictions on distilled beverages apply also to mixed drinks containing them.
Gibraltar	none	16
Greece	none	none (Shops), 17 (Bars)
Hungary	18	18
Iceland	20		Possession or consumption of alcohol by minors is not an offence but supplying them with alcohol is. However, law allows alcohol possessed by a minor to be confiscated.
Isle of Man	5 (in private)16 (in public with a meal)18 otherwise	18
Republic of Ireland	18 in public, 14 in private	18	It shall not be unlawful for a person (other than the holder of a licence of licensed premises) to purchase or deliver intoxicating liquor for consumption by a person under the age of 18 years in a private residence with the explicit consent of that person's parent or guardian.
Italy	none	none, 16 (limit to get served alcoholic drinks in public places)	South Tyrol prohibits both serving and purchase for people under the age of 16 and to everybody in a state of inebriation. Milan has enforced a ban on under 16's purchasing alcohol. Heavy fines are given to proprieters and parents if a transaction is completed.
Liechtenstein	16 for wine, beer and cider 18 for spirits & spirit-based beverages. eg. alcopops		Wine, beer and ciders as well as some other party drinks which may not contain spirits can be purchased by the age of 16. Spirits as well as alcopops can be sold only to people above the age of 18.
Luxembourg	16
Latvia	18
Lithuania	18
Macedonia	18
Malta	16, drinking in public is not allowed.	17	Identification Document Mandatory.
Moldova	No minimum age (beer), 18 (wine and spirits)
Montenegro	none	18
Netherlands	16 in pubs or cafes	16 (under 15% ABV), 18 (15% ABV and over)	Buyers must show ID if under age of 20. Drinking in public is not allowed. Selling alcohol to underaged customers carries a fine of €900-3,600.
Norway	none	18 (under 22% ABV), 20 (over 22% ABV)	Drinking age is often erroneously perceived by the public as being 18, even though minors consuming alcohol are never held criminally responsible.
Poland	none	18
Portugal	none	16 (will be changing to 18 soon)
Romania	none	18
Russia	18
Serbia	none	none	There is no law that regulates the minimum drinking or purchase age, but some stores display notices saying that the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors is prohibited.
Slovakia	18	18
Slovenia	none	18
Spain	16
Sweden	18 (bars and restaurants)	20 (Systembolaget stores),18 (beer with 2.25%–3.5% ABV in normal shops),none (less than 2.25% ABV)	See also alcohol in Sweden. Bars/clubs often voluntarily choose to have higher age limits than 18, commonly 20 or 23.
Switzerland	16(for beer, wine and cider), 18 (for spirits, liquor and alcopops)
Turkey	18		Some new laws were introduced since 2005, by the AK Parti government.A minimum of 16 years of age are allowed to drink non-distilled beverages while being accompanied by parents.
Ukraine	18
United Kingdom	5 years old or over.(in private) 16 years old or over in a pub or restaurant with a table meal as long as an adult purchases the alcohol (no adult is required to be present in Scotland) 18 years old or over.(pubs, bars, restaurants, off-licences etc.)	16 (liqueur chocolates) 18 otherwise	Children under 5 must not be given alcohol unless under medical supervision or in an emergency (Children and Young Persons Act 1933, Children and Young Persons Act 1937).. However, children aged 5 and over may legally consume alcohol in their own home or someone else's as long as they are under the supervision of an adult, however Social Services are intolerant of this occurring with children under the age of 14. The minimum age for the purchase of alcohol is 18. People aged 16 or 17 may consume wine, beer or cider on licensed premises (pubs/bars/restaurants) with a table meal. In England & Wales, an adult must order. In Scotland, no adult is required to be present. The legal age for the purchase of alcohol from an off-licence (store/supermarket) is 18 (16 for liqueur chocolates). Some supermarket and off-licence chains display notices that they will not sell alcohol to persons under the age of 21 and ID is often requested. Purchasing alcohol on behalf of a minor is illegal in Scotland, England and Wales. This means acting as the young person's agent.

Oceania

Country / region	De jure		Notes
	Drinking Age	Purchase Age
American Samoa (U.S.)	21
Australia	18		Liquor laws vary by state. See Alcohol laws of Australia for more details.
Fiji	18		Was 21 from 2006-2009. Lowered to 18 on May 19, 2009. Very loosely enforced.
Guam (U.S.)	18
Micronesia	21
New Zealand	-	18	Although there are laws prohibiting alcohol purchase by any person under 18 years of age, to actually drink alcohol (without the element of purchasing) is NOT currently an offence. Usually any person under 18 without a guardian who is found consuming alcohol in a public place will have the drink removed and if intoxicated will be returned to their home, or be held by police until sober. On 8 November 2006 the New Zealand Parliament rejected a bill to return the legal age to 20 after significant lobbying by the Keepit18 group and others. Due to the new "party rule", if there is any person under the age of 18 present while alcohol is being bought in a shop, the shop must refuse to sell the alcohol. This does not apply if the person under 18 is the child or dependant of the purchaser.
Northern Mariana Islands (U.S.)	21
Palau	21
Papua New Guinea	18
Samoa	16
Solomon Islands	none
Tonga	18
Tokelau	18
Vanuatu	18

See also

• Amethyst Initiative
• Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States
• National Minimum Drinking Age Act
• National Youth Rights Association
• Age discrimination
• Shoulder tap
• The Century Council
• Choose Responsibility

References

1. Global Status Report: Alcohol Policy, Egypt
2. Alberta Gaming and Liquor Act section 87.3
3. Drinking Age Limits - International Center for Alcohol Policies
4. [1] - In British Columbia, as confirmed in 2006, only children of the parents supervising are allowed underage drinking, not any other minors.
5. http://www.grsproadsafety.org/themes/default/pdfs/Drinking%20Age%20Limits.pdf.
6. Exceptions to Minimum Age of 21 for Possession of Alcohol as of January 1, 2007, Alcohol Policy Information System
7. Judge: State law barring underage drinking is unconstitutional
8. China bans under-age drinking, China Daily, 2006-01-06. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
9. Global Status Report: Alcohol Policy, Mongolia
10. Global Status Report: Alcohol Policy, Philippines
11. Article 2 of the Children and Youth Welfare Law (zh:兒童及少年福利法) of the Republic of China, effective since 2003-05-28 in Taiwan Area, defines children and youth as people under the age of 18.
12. Clause 1 of Section 1 of Article 26 of the Children and Youth Welfare Law (zh:兒童及少年福利法) of the Republic of China, effective since 2003-05-28 in Taiwan Area
13. Section 2 of Article 26 of the Children and Youth Welfare Law of the Republic of China
14. Section 1 of Article 55 of the Children and Youth Welfare Law of the Republic of China
15. Section 3 of Article 26 of the Children and Youth Welfare Law of the Republic of China
16. Section 2 of Article 55 of the Children and Youth Welfare Law of the Republic of China
17. Turkey: Alcohol ban in government cafes and restaurants Friday, November 25, 2005 @ 09:38 AM Central Standard Time. TURKS.us
18. Secular Turkey is angered by spectre of alcohol-free zones By Elizabeth Davies. Thursday, 15 December 2005. The Independent
19. Turkey's Islamist-rooted AKP to propose new bans on alcohol Hurriyet News
20. New alcohol law prompts fears for Turkish bar trade Robert Tait in Istanbul. The Guardian, Friday 16 May 2008
21. information based on the respective state Youth Protection Laws, available at [2], as of December 11, 2007
22. Få unge har købt legitimationskort, Danmarks Radio, 01. jul. 2006
23. Nowhere in the law does it says you have to be 18 to use alcohol, only possession and buying is not allowed. http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1994/19941143?search[type]=pika&search[pika]=alkoholi
24. French Public Health Code, Art L3342-1
25. French Public Health Code, Art L3353-3
26. Law passed on 23 July 2009.
27. French Public Health Code, Art L3353-4.
28. German law for the protection of minors
29. Practical Information School for Renewable Engergy Science, Iceland
30. ]
31. Consumption of alcohol by children, Section 150, Licensing Act 2003
32. publisher= Department of Culture Media and SportChapter12 Sale and Supply of Alcohol to Children
33. Strong vote against bill to raise drinking age, NZ Herald, November 8, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
34. MPs back off from drinking age hike, NZ Herald, November 4, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2008.

External links

• Minimum Legal Age for Buying and Drinking Alcohol around the World (Interactive map of the world)
• ARA, Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use
• International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP)