Moscow: The World Health Organisation has said that people of Moldova, an eastern European nation, consume more alcohol per head than citizens of any other nation.
The average Moldovan citizen consumes 18.22 litres of alcohol annually, three times more than the global average of 6.1 litres, according to WHO's Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health.
The WHO also said Moldova, Israel, Croatia and Ukraine have special provisions in their state budgets for the treatment of alcoholism.
The top rating of the heaviest drinking nations include the Czech Republic with an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 16.45 litres, Hungary (16.27 litres), Russia (15.76 litres), Ukraine (15.6 litres), Estonia (15.57 litres), Andorra (15.48 litres), Romania (15.3 litres), Slovenia (15.19 litres), Belarus (15.13 litres) and Britain (13.37 litres).
The report also said: "Globally, 6.2 percent of all male deaths are related to alcohol, compared to 1.1 percent of female deaths."
Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova emerged as an independent republic following the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Its population is around 3.6 million, according to the UN. Its capital city is Chisinau and the majority of people are Christians.