Vietnam in Asia’s top 5 beer drinkers

Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association says Vietnam is fifth in the top ten Asian beer-drinking countries, consuming 31.7 litres a year.

Japan tops the list, with annual per capital consumption of 44 litres. South Korea is second with 38.7 litres. Thailand and China follow with 38.1 and 37.3 litres respectively. Philippines has lowest beer consumption of 16.7 litres.

Health Ministry officials said May 7 that pure ethanol consumption in Vietnam had doubled in five years, from four litres in 2005 to 6.6 litres in 2015. They predicted consumption of seven litres by 2025.

Kirin, a major Japanese brewery company, said alcohol consumption in Vietnam was rising fast, rising 7.3 percent in 2013 year-on-year.

Vu Thi Minh Hanh, deputy head of the Hanoi-based Health Strategy and Policy Institute, said alcohol abuse was a health and safety problem for Vietnam, damaging physical health, a cause of domestic violence and a growing contributor to traffic accidents.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry statistics show 68 percent of domestic violence is the result of alcohol, as are 38 percent of incidents of public disorder and accidents.

The beer industry generates 47,000 jobs and is worth USD1.2bn to annual GDP.

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