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Ukraine ranks 5th in the world in terms of alcohol consumption per capita
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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This is stated in the Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the press service of the public organization School of the Heart reports.
According to WHO, the average Ukrainian drinks 15.6 liters of alcohol per year. Only Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Moldova drink more than Ukraine (this country tops the list with 18.22 liters of alcohol per person per year).
As is known, systematic alcohol abuse leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Alcohol enters the bloodstream just a few minutes after its consumption and circulates through the circulatory system for at least five hours.
At this time, the pulse increases from 70-80 to 100 or more beats per minute, and the rate of contraction of the myocardium - the heart muscle - decreases, and the cardiovascular system ceases to function normally. Alcohol is a strong cardiac depressant, and the high mortality rate of Ukrainians from heart disease is largely due to their excessive addiction to drinking.
At the same time, the WHO list records only the quantitative indicator of alcohol consumption, but there is also a qualitative one. Thus, if Moldovans and Hungarians usually drink dry wine, which in small doses is good for the body, if Czechs prefer beer to other drinks, then in Ukraine (as well as in neighboring Russia) strong drinks are in the greatest demand, primarily vodka.
"And the blow it deals to the cardiovascular system of the body is much more destructive than both "wine" and "beer". So the real situation with alcohol in Ukraine is much worse than that presented in the report, and this is very sad," states cardiologist, founder of the public organization School of the Heart Alexey Bashkirtsev.