Legal Drinking Age in China

China is a country with a rich history and culture, famous for its iconic landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and the Terracotta Army. As a rapidly growing economy, China is also home to a diverse population that enjoys various forms of entertainment, including drinking alcohol.

The legal drinking age in China is an important topic, and it is essential to understand the laws and cultural attitudes surrounding alcohol consumption in the country.

What is the legal drinking age in China?

In China, the legal drinking age is 18 years old. This is the age at which individuals are legally allowed to purchase and consume alcohol. The minimum legal age is enforced by the Chinese government and is consistent across all provinces and municipalities.

However, it is worth noting that the legal drinking age in China is often not strictly enforced. It is not uncommon to see young people below the legal drinking age drinking alcohol in public places such as restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. This is especially true in tourist hotspots where establishments may be more lenient in enforcing the age limit to cater to international customers.

Cultural Attitudes Towards Alcohol in China

Alcohol has been an essential part of Chinese culture for centuries. Chinese society has a long history of producing and consuming alcoholic beverages, with some traditional Chinese drinks such as baijiu and rice wine being popular not only in China but also internationally. Alcohol consumption is often seen as a social activity, and drinking with friends or colleagues is a common way to bond and build relationships.

(Related: 17 Chinese Beer Brands You Must Know)

In Chinese culture, drinking is often associated with celebrations and auspicious occasions, such as weddings, banquets, and festivals. It is customary for hosts to offer their guests drinks as a sign of hospitality, and it is considered impolite to refuse such offers. However, excessive drinking is frowned upon, and individuals who drink to the point of intoxication may be viewed as lacking self-control or discipline.

Alcohol Consumption Among Chinese Youth

Despite the legal drinking age in China, alcohol consumption among young people is a growing concern. A study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that over half of Chinese youth aged 15-19 years reported having consumed alcohol in their lifetime. Furthermore, nearly a quarter of Chinese adolescents aged 13-15 years reported having consumed alcohol in the past month.

The rise in alcohol consumption among young people is attributed to several factors. One factor is the changing social and economic landscape in China, which has led to increased stress and pressure on young people to succeed academically and professionally. As a result, some young people turn to alcohol as a means of coping with stress or as a way to escape from their problems.

Another factor is the increasing availability and accessibility of alcohol. China’s growing economy has led to a proliferation of bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues that cater to young people. In addition, online shopping and home delivery services have made it easier for young people to purchase alcohol without being asked for proof of age.

Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Health

Excessive alcohol consumption can have serious health consequences. The WHO reports that alcohol is a leading risk factor for death and disability globally, and excessive drinking can lead to a range of health problems, including liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

In China, alcohol consumption is a major public health concern, with over 300 million people estimated to be heavy drinkers. Alcohol-related health problems, such as liver disease and alcoholism, are among the leading causes of death in China.

The Chinese government has implemented various measures to address the issue of excessive drinking, such as increasing taxes on alcohol and implementing stricter drunk driving laws. However, more needs to be done to raise awareness about the risks of excessive alcohol consumption and to promote responsible drinking habits.

Legal drinking age by country

This chart provides an overview of the laws and rules that establish the minimum age restrictions for purchasing, selling, providing, and consuming alcoholic beverages, as well as the methods used to verify age, in all countries where IARD has been able to verify the information from national authorities or publicly available documents.

The chart is continually updated as jurisdictions modify or enact their regulations, with assistance from the staff at the Law Library of Congress (Washington, DC). IARD’s most recent comprehensive review of the information for all countries was conducted between December 2021 and March 2022, during which the chart was expanded to include age verification requirements, which had not been previously included.

Country / Territory	On-premise sale	Off-premise sale	Supply by any person	Legislation and regulations
Afghanistan	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	Penal Code Art 349-352 Law to Fight Against Alcoholic Beverages and Narcotic Substances and to Control Them
Albania	18	18	18	Law 9518 of 18 April 2006 For the protection of minors from the use of alcohol Art 4
Algeria	18	18	[none found]	Order No. 26-75 of 1975 Art 14
Andorra	18	18	18	Decree 16-6-2004 Approving Regulation of Sale and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages
Angola	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[pending verification]
Antigua and Barbuda	18	18	[none found]	Licensing (intoxicating liquor) (Amendment) Act Ch 249 (2018)
Argentina	18	18	[none found]	Law No24.788 Combating Alcoholism (Official Bulletin 3rd April 1997) Art 5
Armenia	18	18	[none found]	Code of Administrative Offences Art 158 Criminal Code Art 166
Australia	18*	18*	[varies by jurisdiction]	Regulated at state/territory level. See Youth Law Australia: Alcohol Capital Territory: Liquor Act (2010) New South Wales: Liquor Act (2007) Northern Territory: Liquor Act (1987) Queensland: Liquor Act (1992) South Australia: Liquor Licensing Act (1997) Tasmania: Liquor Licensing Act (1990), see also Sale or Supply of Alcohol to Youths (Police Offences Act 1935) Victoria: Liquor Control Reform Act (1998) Western Australia: Liquor Control Act (1988)
Austria	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	[none found]	National Youth Protection Act 2002 Austrian Federal Government: Overview by state
Azerbaijan	18	18	[none found]	Law on Children’s Rights Art 9
Bahamas	18	18	[none found]	Liquor Licences Act Ch 372: 22
Bahrain	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]	Penal Code 1976 as amended through 2010 Art 307
Bangladesh	21*	21*	21*	Narcotics Control Act 2018, Ministry of Home Affairs Alcohol Control Rules 2022
Barbados	18	18	18	Liquor Licenses Act 2021 Art 27
Belarus	18	18	[none found]	Law No. 429-Z on State Regulation of Production and Turnover of Alcoholic, Non-food Alcohol-containing Products and Non-food Ethyl Alcohol Art 11.4
Belgium	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	Act of 24 January 1977 on the protection of consumer health concerning food and other products Art 6
Belize	18	18	[none found]	Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Law CAP. 150, as revised December 2000
Benin	20	20	20	Decree of 10 June 1942 regulating the production, import, advertisement, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in French West Africa, as cited in Republic of Benin Report to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/BEN/2, 24 November 2005
Bhutan	18	18	[none found]	Rules and Regulations For Establishment And Operation of Industrial And Commercial Ventures in Bhutan 1995, Rule 17 Notification No. Kha(12-7)/89/5070 dated 26 April 1993
Bolivia	18	18	[none found]	Law 259 Against the Sale and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages, July 2012 Art 20
Bosnia and Herzegovina	18	18	18	Law on Public Peace and Order 2015 Art 25 Law on Internal Trade 2010 Art 10
Botswana	18	18	18	Liquor Act No.9 of 2004 Art 32 Children Act 2009 Sec 2, 60
Brazil	18	18	18	Presidential Amendment 13,106 of 17 March 2015 of Law 8096 (1990) Statute on Children and Adolescents Art. 243 Decree-Law 3,688 (1941) Law on Criminal Misdemeanors
Brunei	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	Liquor Form, Royal Customs and Excise Department, Ministry of Finance
Bulgaria	18	18	18	Health Act 2005 Art 54, 218 Child Protection Act Art 5b, 45
Burkina Faso	18	18	[none found]	Penal Code Art 532-23
Burundi	18*	18*	[none found]	Penal Code Art 501-502 (Law No1/05 of 22 April 2009)
Cabo Verde	18	18	18	Law No. 271/V/97 Art 1.1, 4 Law No. 51/IX/2019 Art 2-3
Cambodia	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]	[n/a]
Cameroon	18*	18*	[none found]	Law No 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 Penal Code Article 348
Canada	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	Act respecting Offences Relating to Alcoholic Beverages, CQLR c I-8.1
Central African Republic	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]	[n/a]
Chad	18*	18*	[none found]	Law 2017-01 Penal Code Chapter 6 Art 376-378
Chile	18*	18	18	Law 19.925 on the Sale and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages Art 3, 29, 42
China	18*	18*	[none found]	Ministry of Commerce Decree No. 25 of 2006 Art 19 Law on the Protection of Minors 2006 Art 37
Chinese Taipei	18	18	18	Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act 2000 Art 30, 35 Protection of Children and Youth Welfare and Rights Act as amended in 2019 Art 91
Colombia	18	18	18	Decree 120 of 21 January 2010 Adopting measures related to consumption of alcohol Art 17 Law 1098 Code on Children and Adolescents 1986 Art 20
Comoros	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]	[none found]	Penal Code Arts 229-6, 229-7
Congo, Democratic Republic of	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Congo, Republic of	18	18	18	[none found]
Costa Rica	18	18	18	18
Cote d’Ivoire	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Croatia	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Cuba	16	16	[none found]	[none found]
Cyprus	18	18	18	18
Czech Republic	18	18	18	[none found]
Denmark	18	[varies by beverage]	[none found]	[none found]
Djibouti	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]
Dominica	16	16	[none found]	[none found]
Dominican Republic	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Ecuador	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Egypt	21	21	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
El Salvador	18	18	18	[none found]
Eritrea	18	18	18	[none found]
Estonia	18	18	18	18
Eswatini	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Ethiopia	21	21	[none found]	[none found]
Equatorial Guinea	16	16	[none found]	[none found]
Fiji	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Finland	18	[varies by beverage]	[none found]	[varies by beverage]
France	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Gabon	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Gambia	16	16	[none found]	[none found]
Georgia	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Germany	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	[none found]
Ghana	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Greece	18	18	[none found]	18
Grenada	16	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]
Guatemala	18	18	18	18
Guinea	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]
Guinea Bissau	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]
Guyana	18*	18	[none found]	[none found]
Haiti	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]	[none found]
Honduras	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Hungary	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Iceland	20	20	20	[none found]
India	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]
Indonesia	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]
Iran	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[varies by religion]
Iraq	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Ireland	18	18	18	18*
Israel	18	18	[none found]	18
Italy	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Jamaica	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Japan	20	20	[none found]	20
Jordan	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Kazakhstan	21	21	[none found]	18
Kenya	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Kiribati	21	21	[none found]	21
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Korea, Republic of	19*	19*	19*	[none found]
Kuwait	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Kyrgyzstan	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Lao People’s Democratic Republic	18	18	[none found]	18
Latvia	18	18	18	18
Lebanon	18	18	18	[none found]
Lesotho	18	18	18	[none found]
Liberia	18	18	18*	[none found]
Libya	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[prohibited]
Liechtenstein	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]	[varies by beverage]
Lithuania	18	18	18	16
Luxembourg	16	16	16	[none found]
Madagascar	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Malawi	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Mali	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Malaysia	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]
Maldives	[prohibited*]	[prohibited*]	[prohibited*]	[prohibited*]
Mali	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Malta	17	17	17	17
Marshall Islands	21	21	21	21
Mauritania	[prohibited]	[prohibited]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Mauritius	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Mexico	18	18	18	18
Micronesia, Federated States of	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[verification pending]	[verification pending]
Moldova	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Monaco	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Mongolia	21	21	21	21*
Montenegro	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Morocco	[varies by religion]	[varies by religion]	[none found]	[none found]
Mozambique	18	18	[none found]	18
Myanmar	18	18	18	[none found]
Namibia	18	18	18	18
Nauru	21	21	21	21
Nepal	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Netherlands	18	18	18	18
New Zealand	18	18	18*	[none found]
Nicaragua	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Niger	18	18	[none found]	[none found]
Nigeria	[varies by jurisdiction]	[varies by jurisdiction]	[none found]	[none found]

What is the youngest drinking age in the world?

The minimum legal age for drinking is as low as 15 in Mali and the Central African Republic, making them the countries with the lowest minimum legal drinking age in the world. In seven countries, there are no government regulations on the minimum drinking age, while in 11 countries, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is completely prohibited.

What is the oldest drinking age in the world?

Most countries have established the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to be either 18 or 19 years old. In contrast, the United States (excluding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and 19 other nations, primarily in Asia, have set the highest MLDA. Nevertheless, certain regions in India have MLDA as high as 25-30 years old.

FAQ: About the drinking age in China