Top wine consuming countries in 2015
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New figures show that 10 countries drink around two thirds of the world's wine, but who is drinking the most? See below for a graphic prepared by Decanter using OIV data.
Top wine consuming countries – OIV
World wine consumption crept up in 2015 to 240 million hectolitres, the equivalent of 32 billion 75cl bottles, said the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).
It means that the world is drinking about the same amount of wine as it did 10 years ago. But, this headline figure hides a shift in wine consumption from the traditional producer countries, particularly France and Italy, to new wine lovers in the US and China.
Ten countries account for around two thirds of world wine consumption, according to the OIV.
See them in the chart below, and hover over the country on the map to see the precise consumption figure – translated from millions of hectolitres into the equivalent number of standard bottles, and rounded to one decimal place.
Reading on a mobile? Turn your phone on its side to see the full map.
Below is the data that was used to create the chart above.
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In order, the countries are: US, France, Italy, Germany, China, UK, Argentina, Spain, Russia and Australia.
While consumption rose by just 0.9 million hectolitres last year, world wine production is estimated to have risen by 2.2% in 2015 to 274 million hectolitres following strong harvests in several countries.
The pursuit of bragging rights in the wine world recently enveloped the leaders of both France and Italy, after Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi claimed that his country now produced better wine than the French.
OIV figures on global wine consumption in 2015
| Country | Million hectolitres | Change on 2014 |
| USA | 31 | 1.0% |
| France | 27.2 | -1.2% |
| Italy | 20.5 | 0.3% |
| Germany | 20.5 | 1.1% |
| China | 16 | 3.2% |
| United Kingdom | 12.9 | 2.4% |
| Argentina | 10.3 | 3.2% |
| Spain | 10 | 1.3% |
| Russia | 8.9 | -7.0% |
| Australia | 5.4 | -1.0% |
Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.
He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.
Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.
Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.