Published May 31, 2026 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated May 31, 2026 | 8:00 AM
Alcohol consumption
Synopsis: Alcohol consumption remains relatively low nationally, with 18.9% of Indian men and 1.1% of women reporting alcohol use, according to NFHS-6. Telangana, however, recorded the highest prevalence among major states for both men and women. Nearly half of rural men in the state consume alcohol, highlighting sharp regional disparities.
Only about two in every 10 Indian men consume alcohol, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), but Telangana stands out sharply from the national picture, recording the highest alcohol consumption among both men and women among India’s major states. Nearly half of Telangana’s men consume alcohol, while women in the state report the highest prevalence among major states.
The latest survey found that 18.9 percent of men aged 15 years and above across India consume alcohol, only marginally higher than the 18.7 percent reported in NFHS-5. Among women, alcohol consumption declined slightly from 1.3 percent to 1.1 percent.
Against this backdrop of relative stability at the national level, Telangana reported alcohol consumption levels that are more than double the national average among men and more than six times higher among women.
According to NFHS-6, 43.9 percent of men in Telangana consume alcohol, making it the highest among all major states in the country. Among women, the state recorded a prevalence of 7.1 percent, also the highest among major states.
The findings underscored how alcohol consumption in India remains heavily concentrated in specific regions rather than being uniformly distributed across the country.
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The survey shows that alcohol consumption is deeply entrenched in Telangana, particularly among men.
At 43.9 percent, nearly one in every two men in the state consumes alcohol. The figure is more than twice the national average of 18.9 percent.
The burden is even more pronounced in rural areas. Among rural men in Telangana, alcohol consumption stood at 46.6 percent, compared with 36.3 percent in urban areas. This means nearly half of all rural men in the state reported consuming alcohol.
Among women, the rural-urban divide is even more striking. While 2.8 percent of urban women reported alcohol use, the prevalence rose to 8.6 percent in rural Telangana, meaning rural women were more than three times as likely as urban women to consume alcohol.
The state’s overall female prevalence of 7.1 percent is substantially higher than the national average of 1.1 percent.
Although Telangana’s male alcohol consumption increased only marginally from 43.4 percent in NFHS-5 to 43.9 percent in NFHS-6, the state has maintained its position as one of India’s highest-consumption regions.
Among women, prevalence increased from 6.7 percent to 7.1 percent.
While Telangana leads among larger states, Arunachal Pradesh reported the highest alcohol consumption in the country overall.
The survey found that 50.5 percent of men and 23.2 percent of women consume alcohol in the northeastern state, though a smaller state with less than a crore population.
More than half of rural men in Arunachal Pradesh reported alcohol use, while one in four women consumed alcohol.
Sikkim also reported exceptionally high prevalence, with 42.2 percent of men and 19.9 percent of women consuming alcohol.
The data highlight the distinctive drinking patterns seen across parts of northeastern India, where female alcohol consumption is significantly higher than the national average.
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Among major states, Telangana was followed by Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
Chhattisgarh reported alcohol consumption among 38.3 percent of men, while Jharkhand recorded 33.6 percent.
Himachal Pradesh reported 30.2 percent, Tripura 29.5 percent, Meghalaya 28.3 percent and Uttarakhand 27.2 percent.
These figures indicate that high alcohol consumption is concentrated in specific belts of the country, particularly parts of central India, the Northeast and certain southern states.
One of the most significant findings of NFHS-6 is Telangana’s position among women.
At 7.1 percent, Telangana recorded the highest alcohol consumption among women among all major states.
Only a handful of smaller states and Union Territories reported higher female prevalence.
Arunachal Pradesh recorded 23.2 percent, Sikkim 19.9 percent, Tripura 6.0 percent, Assam 5.8 percent, Chhattisgarh 5.7 percent and Jharkhand 5.5 percent.
Among larger states, however, Telangana remained at the top.
The findings suggest that drinking among women remains relatively uncommon across most of India but is considerably more prevalent in certain regions.
The southern states present sharply contrasting pictures.
After Telangana’s 43.9 percent, Andhra Pradesh reported alcohol consumption among 23.3 percent of men. Tamil Nadu stood at 23.5 percent, Kerala at 22.7 percent and Karnataka at 15.6 percent.
Among women, Telangana’s 7.1 percent was dramatically higher than all other southern states.
By comparison, female alcohol consumption stood at 0.6 percent in Andhra Pradesh, 0.5 percent in Karnataka, 0.3 percent in Kerala, 0.3 percent in Tamil Nadu and 0.3 percent in Maharashtra.
Interestingly, Kerala recorded one of the larger increases among men, rising from 19.9 percent in NFHS-5 to 22.7 percent in NFHS-6, an increase of 2.8 percentage points.
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While national alcohol consumption remained broadly stable, some states witnessed notable changes.
Among men, Uttar Pradesh recorded the largest increase among major states.
Alcohol consumption rose from 14.5 percent in NFHS-5 to 18.7 percent in NFHS-6, representing an increase of 4.2 percentage points.
Chhattisgarh recorded an increase of 3.6 percentage points, while Nagaland and Chandigarh reported increases of three percentage points each.
Kerala recorded a rise of 2.8 percentage points, while Uttarakhand increased by 1.7 percentage points.
Among women, Sikkim reported the largest increase, rising from 16.2 percent to 19.9 percent.
The most dramatic reduction in alcohol consumption was recorded in Goa.
Among men, prevalence fell from 36.8 percent in NFHS-5 to 22.4 percent in NFHS-6, a decline of 14.4 percentage points.
Female alcohol consumption in Goa also declined sharply, dropping from 5.5 percent to 2.1 percent.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported a decline of 6.8 percentage points among men, while Delhi recorded a reduction of 5.5 percentage points.
Puducherry and Ladakh also reported notable declines.
These changes indicate that alcohol consumption trends are not moving uniformly across the country.
At the other end of the spectrum, Gujarat and Lakshadweep recorded the lowest alcohol consumption levels.
Only 5.2 percent of men in Gujarat reported alcohol use, while Lakshadweep reported 0.6 percent. Among women, alcohol consumption stood at 0.3 percent in Gujarat and effectively zero in Lakshadweep.
Jammu and Kashmir also reported relatively low prevalence, with only 7.3 percent of men consuming alcohol.
Rajasthan recorded 10.7 percent, while Maharashtra stood at 12.2 percent.
The findings illustrate the enormous regional variation in alcohol use across India.
The NFHS-6 findings come at a time when India is grappling with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, liver disorders and certain cancers, many of which are linked to alcohol use.
The survey’s alcohol data also align with broader NFHS-6 findings showing significant regional differences in obesity, hypertension and other lifestyle-related health indicators.
While national alcohol consumption appears relatively stable, the state-level picture reveals stark contrasts. Telangana’s position at the top among major states, particularly among women, alongside the extremely high prevalence among rural men, highlights the need for targeted public health interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all national approach.
The data suggest that India’s alcohol story is less about national averages and more about regional realities, with Telangana standing out as one of the country’s most significant alcohol consumption hotspots.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
