The harmful use of alcohol causes 3.3 million deaths, about 5.9 percent of world’s total, every year, a new study by the World Health Organization has found.

The average per-capita pure alcohol consumption for the population aged 15 or above (15+) is 6.2 liters worldwide, the WHO said in its “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014,” after the global health caretaker examined its 194 member states for alcohol consumption, its impact on public health and policy responses.

For alcohol drinkers, about 38.3 percent of the 15+ population, the per-capita consumption is 17 liters, and 16 percent of the drinking population indulged themselves in binge-drinking despite the toll it can take on a person’s health, the report found.

Demographically, lower-income groups are more vulnerable to the social and health consequences of alcohol, for they neither have much access to quality health care nor get adequate protection from their families and communities, according to the report.

Europe was found to have the highest per-capita consumption globally, with the top ten alcohol-consuming countries in the world all coming from the region.

Belarus, with each of its citizens from the 15+ age group consuming 17.5 liters of pure alcohol on average, is the number one alcohol drinking nation. And among its drinkers, 32.7 percent are binge drinkers and the proportion of binge-drinking males is 53.7 percent.

China recorded 6.7 liters for the 2008-2010 period, lower than the global average, up from 4.9 liters for the 2003-2005 period.

Below are the world’s top 10 alcohol-consuming countries:

 Portugual

Alcohol per capita (15+) consumption: 12.9 liters

Total population: 10,590,000

15+ population: 85%

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