The lowest legal drinking age in the world is just 13 years old in Burkina Faso. This West African nation has no national age restriction on off-premise alcohol sales, allowing teenagers as young as 13 to purchase and consume alcohol legally.
Key Takeaways:
- Burkina Faso has the world’s lowest legal drinking age at 13 years old.
- The Central African Republic and Mali also have very low legal drinking ages of 15 years old.
- Seven countries, including Burkina Faso, have no government-mandated drinking age at all.
- This contrasts with 64% of the world’s nations setting the legal age at 18 years old.
Burkina Faso’s 13-Year-Old Drinking Age: The World’s Lowest
With a legal drinking age of just 13 years old, Burkina Faso holds the distinction of having the lowest minimum age for purchasing and consuming alcohol in the world. This lack of national age restriction on off-premise alcohol sales allows teenagers as young as 13 to buy alcohol legally.
Compared to the global norm of 18 years old, Burkina Faso’s extremely low legal drinking age highlights significant cultural differences. This public health concern is reflected in the country’s high ranking for years of life lost due to alcohol-related causes, exceeding global averages.
Countries with No Minimum Drinking Age
While 64% of the world’s nations set the legal drinking age at 18, seven countries have no government-mandated drinking age at all. This group includes Burkina Faso, Djibuoti, Guinea-Bissau, Timor-Leste, Togo, Vanuatu, and Western Sahara.
The lack of any minimum drinking age in these countries leads to increased youth access to alcohol, which in turn contributes to significant health risks. Burkina Faso, for example, ranks highly in years of life lost due to alcohol-related causes, surpassing global averages.
Interestingly, some nations, such as Barbados, are currently considering raising their minimum drinking age in an effort to address public health concerns.
15-Year-Old Drinking Age: Central African Republic and Mali
Alongside Burkina Faso’s 13-year-old limit, the Central African Republic and Mali both set their legal drinking age at 15 years old, making them the joint-second lowest in the world.
In these countries, locally brewed beverages like palm wine, banana wine, and traditional beers are legally sold to those aged 15 and above. This contrasts with the global norm of 18 as the legal age, which 64% of nations follow.
16-Year-Old Drinking Age Countries
While the vast majority of countries set 18 as the legal drinking age, 20 nations allow consumption at just 16 years old. This group includes Antigua, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Burundi, and more.
Many European nations, such as Germany, permit the purchase and consumption of beer and wine at 16 years old. However, this still contrasts with the global norm of 18 as the legal age, which the majority of countries follow.
Conclusion
The lowest legal drinking age in the world is just 13 years old in Burkina Faso, where there is no national age restriction on off-premise alcohol sales. This contrasts sharply with the global norm of 18 as the legal age, which 64% of nations follow.
While cultural differences explain the low drinking ages in some countries, the public health risks associated with increased youth access to alcohol are a significant concern. As such, some nations are now considering raising their minimum drinking ages to address these issues.
Sources:
The Legal Drinking Age in Each Country [MAP] – VinePair
Drinking Age by Country 2026 – World Population Review
Full list of countries where legal drinking age is less than 18 – Vanguard News
Legal drinking age – Wikipedia
Every country’s legal drinking age – from 13 to 21 years old – The Drinks Business
The Legal Drinking Age in Each Country – FIVS
This House Would Lower The Drinking Age – IDEBATE
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