Kenya: Kenya ranked low in alcohol consumption despite being largest beer market in the region

Kenya is ranked at the bottom compared to neighbouring Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Burundi and Uganda in alcohol consumption despite being the largest beer market in the region, Standard Digital reported on May 18.

Kenya is also one of the lowest informal beer markets in Africa, at 20 per cent, compared to 89 per cent in Uganda, 87 per cent in Tanzania and 17 per cent in South Africa.

According to figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a report titled Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014, only 23.1 per cent of Kenya’s population drinks alcohol. This is compared to Rwanda where 44.7 per cent of the adult population take alcohol, 41.8 per cent in Tanzania, 41.1 per cent in Burundi and 41 per cent in Uganda.

While Kenya has a lower alcohol-consuming population in the region, it has the largest number of beer consumers at 56 per cent of all alcoholic beverages consumed.

Analysis by Standard Investment Bank estimates that in Burundi, only 25 per cent of those taking alcoholic beverages drink beer.

This is compared to 50 per cent in Ethiopia, 11 per cent in Rwanda, 9 per cent in Uganda and 11 per cent in Tanzania. Kenya’s alcohol consumption per capita at 4.3 litres also lags behind the Africa average of 6 litres (Nigeria 10.1, Rwanda 9.8, South Africa 11, Uganda 9.8 and Tanzania 7.7 litres.

21 May, 2014