Lifetime abstainers from alcohol are not randomly distributed across our planet. They are principally concentrated in the Muslim-dominated countries of Africa and Asia, along with higher percentages in South / Central America compared to North America, Australasia, and Europe. However, even among the countries of Europe there is a surprising diversity of abstention rates, although this does not appear to have much relation to any socio-economic factors.
Lifetime abstainers is defined as the proportion of adults (15+ years) in a given population who have not consumed any alcohol during their lifetime, assessed at a given point in time.
Source: WHO
