Turks consume 1.127 billion liters of alcohol per year

ANKARA

The Western Marmara region topped the list of alcohol consumers at 20 percent, followed by the Aegean region and Istanbul. DAILY NEWS Photo

Turks consumed 1.127 billion liters of alcohol in 2012, according to a recent response by the Health Ministry to a series of parliamentary questions, which also highlighted that overall consumption fell by 10 percent last year.

The amount of absolute alcohol consumed per person annually stands at around 1.55 liters, which is well below the European average of 10 liters.

The Western Marmara region topped a list of alcohol consumers at 20 percent, followed by the Aegean region and Istanbul.

The low-alcoholic drink beer is the most commonly consumed alcoholic drink in terms of volume, taking a 90 percent share in sum, while wine and rakı followed with annual respective volumes of 56.4 million and 44.6 million tons.

Some 23 percent of Turkish men consume alcohol, but only 4 percent of women do so.

Some 49.3 out of 90 liras paid for a liter of rakı goes to taxes, the ministry said in response to a question by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu.

Turks pay 4.43 liras in taxes for a liter of beer, which sells for 8.4 liras.

The tax rate is relatively lower in wine, with just 9.63 of 40 liras going to tax. When it comes to sparkling wine, tax jumps to 45.6 liras for every 75 liras of consumption. More than half of the 80 liras paid for a liter of gin is for taxes. A liter of tequila, an export good, costs 110 liras, 56.63 liras of which is taken by the state as tax.

The Turkish government implements high indirect taxes, especially on alcohol, tobacco and gasoline.