In this section of countries that consume the most wine, there are some surprises, since we find that production is not linked to consumption. So, we see that many of the major producing countries (Spain among them), do not appear even remotely on the list of the 15 top per capita consumer countries.
The data, prepared by The Wine Institute, for 2012 is truly amazing. The country where most wine is consumed, by person and year is… The Vatican: 73,78 liters. Almost twice as France (44,19) that comes in second place.
There is no single or obvious explanation for such high consumption (about 98 standard size bottles each year) in such small territory. What is clear is that “The Blood of Christ” has all the weight in this small, catholic state.
List of the 15 countries where the most wine was consumed (per person) in 2012:
- Vatican: 73,78 liters per person.
- France: 44,19.
- Slovenia: 43,27.
- Croatia: 42,59.
- Macedonia: 41,54.
- Portugal: 40,93.
- Switzerland: 40,44.
- Italy: 37,54.
- Austria: 31,87.
- Uruguay: 28,16.
- Greece: 29,15.
- Latvia: 26,36.
- Belgium: 24.
- Germany: 23,98.
- Romania: 23,8.
The second reading of this data is the absence of Spain in the global top 15. Our country is an export power, but it is not the same for consumption that is less than 20 liters per person per year, according to The International Organisation of Vine and Wine, and with a declining trend evident over the last twenty years. In 1992 the average consumption per person was 33.3 liters, in 2005 was 27 liters, and to this day. We could look for reasons why, as we do with the Vatican: driving license points system, smoking laws, the crisis, the price, the trendy gin and tonic? Probably, non of these can explain such low consumption in a country where wine is a sign of its identity.
Finally, the predictions for 2015 are of an increase of 6.2% on worldwide wine consumption. By countries: prediction of a 10% increase in the U.S. between 2012 and 2015, and a 54.3% increase in China and Hong Kong. Europe, which actually represents 62% of the world wine consumption, it is likely to decrease that percentage. The estimate is that it will only increase about 0.4% between 2012 and 2015.