Alcohol consumption in India: Look which state consumes the most

According to recent data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (NFHS), 22.4% of Indian men—approximately one in every five—consume alcohol. 

However, a positive trend is that the percentage of alcohol-consuming men in India has declined. In 2015-16, this figure was 29.2%, which has now decreased. Despite this decline, some states have exceeded the national average.

Which state consumes the most?

Goa tops the list with 59.1% of men consuming alcohol, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (56.6%), Telangana (50%), Jharkhand (40.4%), Odisha (38.4%), Sikkim (36.3%), Chhattisgarh (35.9%), Tamil Nadu (32.8%), Uttarakhand (32.1%), Andhra Pradesh (31.2%), Punjab (27.5%), Assam (26.5%), Kerala (26%), and West Bengal (25.7%).

Notably, Gujarat has one of the lowest alcohol consumption rates, but the percentage of men consuming alcohol has increased from 5.9% (2015-16) to 11.1% (2019-21).

In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha by Dr V Sivadasan, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that Bihar implemented prohibition in 2016. However, data shows that alcohol consumption has not been completely eradicated. In 2015-16, 28.9% of men in Bihar consumed alcohol, and currently, 17% still do.

Alcohol Consumption among women declining, except in Delhi

Although alcohol consumption at the national level has decreased, some regions have seen a rise in alcohol consumption.

Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the percentage of alcohol-consuming women in India decreased from 1.2% to 0.7%.

Despite the overall decline in alcohol consumption, some states are witnessing an increase. Recent data suggests that India is gradually moving away from alcohol, aligning with its cultural values. However, deeper analysis reveals that alcohol consumption among both men and women is rising in several states, including Delhi.