Beer consumption across Southeast Asia varies widely due to cultural, religious, and economic factors. While some countries boast vibrant beer markets with high per-capita consumption, others record minimal intake due to stricter regulations or prevailing social norms.
We will rank Southeast Asian nations from the highest to the lowest beer consumption per person. Each country is explored individually to better understand the unique factors that influence its position on the regional beer consumption scale.
Cambodia
In the context of Southeast Asia, the highest per‑capita beer consumption appears to be in the country of Cambodia. According to data from Faostat via Helgi Library, beer consumption per person in Cambodia reached about 57.3 liters in 2021.
Other reports such as the one from Phnom Penh Post suggest that in more recent years the figure may be as high as approximately 72.2 liters per person annually.
The Cambodian beer market has been growing rapidly—rising incomes, urbanization, tourism and a large domestic beer industry have driven consumption.
While this places Cambodia at the top of the region in per‑person beer volumes, this does not necessarily mean the total volume is largest (which depends on population size), but it does indicate a relatively strong beer culture and market.
Viet Nam
Next in line is Viet Nam, which is often cited as a leading beer market in Southeast Asia both in total volume and per‑capita terms.
A report in 2025 from Asia Food Beverages noted that the beer market volume in Viet Nam reached roughly 3.8 billion liters in 2022 and that beer accounted for some 91% of the country’s recorded alcohol consumption.
While a precise per‑capita metric for beer alone is harder to pin down in publicly available data, one source stated that average pure‑alcohol consumption per adult in Viet Nam was about 8.3 liters and up to 46 liters of beer per year per person.
Viet Nam’s large population and strong beer market mean that even if per‑person consumption is somewhat lower than in Cambodia, the total beer market is very large.
Thailand
Following Vietnam is Thailand. According to Helgi Library, Thai consumers average about 25.7 liters of beer per year per person in 2021.
That places Thailand in a mid‐high position within the region. The country has a well‑developed beer and alcoholic drinks industry, integrating both domestic production and tourism‑driven demand.
However, regulatory and cultural factors likely limit beer consumption relative to the highest per‐capita countries.
Malaysia
Moving further downward, Malaysia shows significantly lower per‑capita beer consumption. According to one chart of overall alcohol consumption, Malaysia had about 0.64 liters of pure alcohol per capita per year in one set of data by Visual Capitalist.
While beer may not be the only alcoholic beverage consumed, the per‑person beer liters recorded for Malaysia in 2021 were about 7.30 liters according to ListFist.
The relatively low number reflects Malaysia’s demographic and regulatory environment, including a significant Muslim population and stricter controls on alcohol.
Laos
At the lower end of the scale in terms of beer per person sits Laos. Helgi Library data show that beer consumption per capita in Laos was only about 5.99 litres in 2021.
While other sources indicate that earlier estimates (for example around 41 litres) existed, the more recent reliable dataset suggests a modest level of beer consumption per person in Laos.
Despite being rich in beer‑drinking culture tied to social life and tourism, the recorded per‑person litres of beer remain comparatively low.
Indonesia
Finally, among the countries surveyed, Indonesia stands out for very low per‑person beer consumption. According to Helgi Library (FAOSTAT data), beer consumption per capita in Indonesia rose to only about 0.710 litres in 2021.
A prior report from The Jakarta Post noted that in 2015 the average was roughly 0.6 litres of alcohol per person in general, making Indonesia one of the most “sober” countries in the region.
The low beer figure reflects Indonesia’s large Muslim‑majority population, cultural norms, regulatory framework and taxation.
