Germany - 12.2
Thanks Rich)
Russian alcohol consumption has been plummeting over the last thirty years. Your figures are a bit outdated.
In 2023 it was around 8.2 liters of pure ethanol per capita. 15 years earlier this number was 18!!!
This has led to higher life expectancy, less healthcare expense, less domestic abuse, less crime overall and everything else that comes with.
I think what did it, is:
1) A ban on alcohol advertising
2) A reaction to the 1990s, when a bunch of people drank themselves to death
3) A huge increase in government duties on alcohol, which made it much more expensive
4) A cracking down on the grey market of moonshine
5) Putin's promotion of a healthy lifestyle and sports in general.
People that discuss Russia, often have in their heads a version of it from the 1990s. Whether it concerns alcohol consumption, abortion rates, HIV prevalence, or orphaned kids.
All these things have changed for the better.