COUNTRY PROFILES
EUROPEAN REGION
ARMENIA
Recorded adult per capita consumption (age 15+)
4
Litres of pure alcohol
3.5
3
2.5
Total
Beer
2
Spirits
Wine
1.5
1
0.5
0
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
Year
Sources: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), World Drink Trends 2003
Last year abstainers
Female 36%
Male 12%
Total
24%
Estimates from key alcohol
experts showing proportion of
adult males and females who had
been abstaining (last year before
the survey). Data is for after year
1
1995.
F e m a le 6 7 .0 %
M a le 8 9 .0 %
Youth drinking in Yerevan (ever drank alcohol)
Survey conducted in the year
2000 among 412 students from
five higher education institutes in
Yerevan, Armenia (age range 17
to 21 years; 54% male and 46%
female). Percentages indicate
proportion of sample who
admitted to drinking alcohol at
2
least once in their lifetime.
The survey also found that 21% of the students surveyed reported that they had never tried alcohol. Of those who
had drank alcohol, 70% reported drinking once a month or less; however, 27% of these respondents reported
binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row) in the last month. Although approximately two thirds of students
WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004
© World Health Organization 2004
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COUNTRY PROFILES
EUROPEAN REGION
reported that it was ‘okay’ for them to drink every so often, only 23% admitted to drinking when alone and 28%
believed it was ‘okay’ to occasionally get drunk.2
Youth drinking in Yerevan (ever binge drank)
M a le 3 5 .0 %
F e m a le 6 .0 %
Survey conducted in the year
2000 among 412 students from
five higher education institutes in
Yerevan, Armenia (age range 17
to 21 years; 54% male and 46%
female). Binge drinking was
defined as consuming five or
more drinks in a row. Percentages
indicate proportion of sample who
admitted to binge drinking at least
2
once in their lifetime.
Unrecorded alcohol consumption
The unrecorded alcohol consumption in Armenia is estimated to be 1.9 litres pure alcohol per capita for
population older than 15 for the years after 1995 (estimated by a group of key alcohol experts).1
Mortality rates from selected death causes where alcohol is one of the underlying risk factors
The data represent all the deaths occurring in a country irrespective of whether alcohol was a direct or indirect
contributor.
Chronic mortality
0.2
3.5
0.18
3
0.16
2.5
0.14
Alcohol use disorders
SDR per 1000
0.12
2
Cirrhosis of the liver
1.5
Mouth and oropharynx
cancers
0.1
0.08
Ischaemic heart disease
0.06
1
0.04
0.5
0.02
0
1981
0
1987
1991
1995
1999
Year
Note: Chronic mortality time-series measured on two axes, ischaemic heart disease on right axis and the other causes on the left.
WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004
© World Health Organization 2004
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COUNTRY PROFILES
EUROPEAN REGION
Acute mortality
0.35
0.3
SDR per 1000
0.25
Falls
0.2
Intentional injuries
Accidental poisonings
0.15
Road traffic accidents
0.1
0.05
0
1981
1987
1991
1995
1999
Year
Source: WHO Mortality Database
Morbidity, health and social problems from alcohol use
Although alcoholism has never been a widespread problem among Armenians before, these days the picture is
changing. Alcoholism in Armenia has recently started to become noticeable especially among young people.
During the Soviet rule, the average age of patients at the Yerevan Centre of Narcology was 40 to 45. Today,
most people in the centre are not older than 35 years.3
The rate of alcoholic psychosis incidence per 100 000 population was 1.37 in 2000 and 1.63 in 2001.4
The SDR per 100 000 population for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis was 13.65 in 2001 and 21.43 in 2002.4
The number of alcohol-related road traffic accidents per 100 000 population was 1.26 in 2000 and 0.79 in
2001.4
Country background information
Total population 2003
3 061 000
Adult (15+)
2 448 800
% under 15
20
Life expectancy at birth (2002)
Female
Probability of dying under age 5 per 1000 (2002) Male
Population distribution 2001 (%)
Urban
67
Rural
33
Male
Gross National Income per capita 2002
67.0
73.0
39
Female
35
US$
790
Sources: Population and Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat, World Bank World Development Indicators database, The
World Health Report 2004
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
Alcohol per capita consumption, patterns of drinking and abstention worldwide after 1995. Appendix
2. European Addiction Research, 2001, 7(3):155–157.
Babikian T et al. An assessment of HIV/AIDS risk in higher education students in Yerevan, Armenia.
AIDS and Behaviour, 2004, 8(1):47–61.
Deheryan S. No place for partying: centre for alcohol abuse has difficult job during holidays.
ArmeniaNow.com, 9 January 2004 (http://www.armenianow.com/2004/january09/features/noplace,
accessed 24 February 2004).
European health for all database. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (http://hfadb.who.dk/hfa,
accessed 26 February 2004).
WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004
© World Health Organization 2004
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