Gender Inquality & Alcohol Consumption

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, and in water there is bacteria.” – Benjamin Franklin While studying history, one looks for not the overt but searches for undercurrents. Sociology is much the same, wherein consumption of food and grains are considered indicators of commerce and culture. Taking inspiration, we analysed Gender Inequality through the prism of alcohol consumption by both genders. Our analysis looked at data from 2010 and considered countries with 50 million+ populations and left out those where consumption was prohibited by law or religion. The attached infographic only showcases a sample. However, some of the major insights are: 1. In no country, did more women consume alcohol than men 2. India contributes to the highest gender gap (by impact) in drinking, globally 3. Europeans lead in both – gender parity and alcohol consumption 4. Countries, which exhibit smaller gender differences in alcohol consumption tend to also have a better Gender Inequality Index (GII) score 5. The more developed an economy the lesser the gap in gender alcohol consumption While I am not suggesting that men and women take to drinking to build a fair world… but it does seem that equality at the bar is a measure of inequality in society.