List of countries with alcohol prohibition
The following countries or territories have or had comprehensive prohibitions against alcohol. Particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Present
[edit]Currently, alcohol prohibition is enforced in many Muslim majority countries, in parts of India, and in some Indigenous American and Indigenous Australian communities and certain northern communities in the Canadian territories.[1] They can range from bans on sales during certain times to complete bans.[2]
Afghanistan[3]
Algeria (illegal in public, legal in restaurants, bars, hotels and homes)[4]
Bangladesh (license required; illegal during Ramadan)[5]
Brunei (Non-Muslims over 17 years of age may have a limited amount of alcohol, but must declare it to the customs authorities on arrival, and must consume it in private)[6]
Canada
Yukon (in some communities)[citation needed]
Northwest Territories (in some communities)[1]
Nunavut (in some communities)[7]
Quebec (in some communities)[8]
China (in regions with Muslim-majority population within Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang)[9][10]
Comoros (for Muslims during Ramadan)[11]
Djibouti[citation needed]
Egypt (illegal to drink in public places and during Ramadan)[citation needed]
India[12]
Indonesia
Iran (home production legal for Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians; commercial production illegal)[19]
Iraq (parliamentary ban, rarely enforced)[20]
Japan
Tokyo (public drinking and alcohol sales banned in Shibuya Ward between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. during all periods)[21]
Kuwait (forbidden even for non-Muslims and tourists, except foreign diplomats)[22]
Libya[23]
Malaysia (excluding non-Muslims; some states ban drinking in public)
Maldives (legal for foreigners at licensed establishments; transport of alcohol illegal)[25]
Mauritania[26]
Oman (legal for non-Muslim foreigners at restaurants, hotels and bars; at home with license; illegal in public)[27]
Pakistan (legal for Non-Muslims and foreigners, served at Hotels and can be bought at Wine stores; Illegal for Muslims; public consumption illegal)[28]
Palestine (illegal in the Gaza Strip under sharia law, but legal in the West Bank)[29]
Qatar (legal for tourists at hotels and bars as well as expatriates with permits)[30]
Russia
Saudi Arabia (complete ban enforced from 1952 to 2024, now accessible to foreign non-Muslim diplomats as well as select non-Muslim residents making over 50,000 riyals a month or holding premium residency)[32][33]
Somalia[34]
Sudan (excluding non-Muslims in private)[35]
Syria (sales partially restricted for Muslims since 2024; exceptions apply for non-Muslim population such as Christians)[36]
Tunisia (sales only banned on Fridays and during Ramadan)
Turkmenistan (illegal on trains, airplanes, and ferries as well as sports facilities; sales banned on weekends and holidays unless at bars and restaurants)[37]
Ukraine (since the beginning of Russia's invasion of the country in 2022 and subsequent martial law, sales illegal in certain parts of the country; legal in some areas controlled by Russia)[38][39][40]
United Arab Emirates (illegal for Muslims, illegal in Sharjah; public consumption illegal)[41]
United Kingdom
Bournville (The sale of alcohol is not permitted in the Bournville area of Birmingham and thus no licensed premisies exist in the village).[42]
United States (dry counties for sales)
Yemen (illegal; before the war, there were exceptions for tourists at certain hotels in Aden and Sana'a)[43]
Past
[edit] | This article needs more citations. (November 2020) |
Canada – 1918–1920 (see prohibition in Canada)
Faroe Islands – 1907–1992 (see 1907 Faroese alcohol referendum)
Finland – 1919–1932[44]
Hungarian Soviet Republic – 21 March – 1 August 1919 – Sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited[45] (partial ban from 23 July).[46]
Iceland – 1915–1935 (see prohibition in Iceland) – However beer with an alcohol content exceeding 2.25% was prohibited until 1989.[citation needed]
North Yemen – 1962–1990[citation needed]
Norway – 1916–1926, distilled spirits banned; 1917-1923 fortified wines banned.[47][48]
Ottoman Empire – 1612–1640 (prohibition by Murad IV)[citation needed]
Panama – 25 March – 8 May 2020 – Sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited as part of the social distancing measures against Covid-19.[citation needed]
Philippines – 1966–1986[citation needed]
Pitcairn Islands – 1790-2009[49]- Russian Empire and the
Soviet Union – 19 July 1914 – 28 August 1925; 1929;[citation needed] 
South Africa (temporary ban to prevent drunken violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa)[a]- United Arab Emirates – In November 2020, the UAE introduced reforms that include the decriminalisation of alcohol for those 21 and over, except the Emirate of Sharjah.
[citation needed]
United States – 1920–1933 (see prohibition in the United States)
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Community Restrictions and Prohibitions". Fin.gov.nt.ca.
- ↑ "Alcohol Prohibition in Foreign Countries". QuitAlcohol.com. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
- ↑ "Afghan agents pour 3,000 litres of alcohol into Kabul canal amid crackdown". The Guardian. 3 January 2022.
- ↑ Scheele, Judith (2008). "A Taste for Law: Rule-Making in Kabylia (Algeria)". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 50 (4): 895–919. doi:10.1017/S0010417508000388. JSTOR 27563712. S2CID 145706862.
- ↑ "Bangladesh loosens its booze laws". The Economist.
- ↑ "Local laws and customs - Brunei travel advice". gov.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ↑ Weber, Bob (16 October 2018). "Nunavut, N.W.T and Yukon to allow communities to block opening of cannabis stores". The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ "Alcohol, Drug Use and Gambling Among the Inuit of Nunavik : Epidemiological Profile" (PDF). Inspq.qc.ca. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ↑ "China's Civil Servant Booze Bans Creep into Private Time". 9 October 2020.
- ↑ "China Arrests Muslims in Xinjiang Province for Not Drinking Alcohol". 21 November 2018.
- ↑ "Union of the Comoros – 2017 International Religious Freedom Report" (PDF). state.gov. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ↑ Mamtany, Sidhant (28 May 2019). "List of states that have imposed complete ban on alcohol consumption". indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ↑ "Gujarat: 28 Dead, Several Hospitalised After Consuming Spurious Alcohol".
- ↑ "States with total and phase-wise prohibition of alcohol in India". The Indian Express. 6 April 2016.
- ↑ "India's Bihar alcohol ban struck down". BBC News. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ↑ "No prohibition here - Taipei Times". 7 September 2016.
- ↑ "'Drunk, naked': Australian man arrested over violent rampage in Aceh". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ↑ Pulau Weh Alcohol Drink & Dining on Sabang, Weh Island, Aceh, Safari Wisata International
- ↑ Elahi, Saghar (7 August 2019). "Alcohol in Iran: A Complete Guide to Iran's Drinking Policy for Tourists". Mah Card.
- ↑ "Iraq might be having second thoughts about the new law banning alcohol". The Independent. 27 October 2016.
- ↑ "Shibuya's public drinking ban is now permanent, wider reaching | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Kuwait". United States Department of State. 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "Libya alcohol poisoning kills 51". 11 March 2013.
- 1 2 "Alcohol Policies in Malaysia". Travel Tips - USA Today.
- ↑ "Guide to Maldives". magicofmaldives.com. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "Trouble brewing". The Economist.
- ↑ "15 things to know before visiting Oman".
- ↑ "Women Tell Us How They Illegally Buy Alcohol and Drugs in Pakistan - VICE". 27 July 2021.
- ↑ "Alcohol in the West Bank, Palestine?". 3 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "Will fans be allowed to drink alcohol at 2022 World Cup Qatar?". 8 July 2022.
- ↑ "Ramzanistan: Chechnya chokes under Kadyrov's dictatorship".
- ↑ "Saudi tourism official clarifies country's stand on alcohol consumption". 27 May 2022.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia Opens First Ever Alcohol Store Accessible to a Select Group". CNBC. 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Somalia: Somali Police Seize Illicit Alcohol". 23 September 2020.
- ↑ "Sudan scraps apostasy law and alcohol ban for non-Muslims". BBC News, Africa. 12 July 2020.
- ↑ "Syria reverses bar closures in Damascus Christian areas". Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ↑ "New law in Turkmenistan cracks down sharply on alcohol sales". Associated Press News. January 2019.
- ↑ "Western Ukraine loosens alcohol ban, Lviv says 'no, thank you'". The Kyiv Independent. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ Kramatorsk, Marc Bennetts (21 May 2023). "A year of no beer in Donetsk (but bootleg trade is thriving)". The Times. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ Asia, Russia's Pivot to (4 May 2025). "Crimean Consumer Product Sales Increase By 40%". Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates relaxes Islamic laws on alcohol and cohabitation, criminalizes 'honor' killings". NBC News. 7 November 2020.
- ↑ Murray, Graeme (17 February 2024). "Beautiful UK village where alcohol is banned for a very strange reason". The Mirror. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ↑ "Yemen hotel serving alcohol attacked; 2 dead". CBS News. 4 January 2012.
- ↑ Wuorinen, John H. (1932). "Finland's Prohibition Experiment". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 163: 216–226. doi:10.1177/000271623216300123. ISSN 0002-7162. JSTOR 1017701. S2CID 143783269.
- ↑ "A Forradalmi Kormányzótanács II. sz. rendelete" [Decree No. 2 of the Revolutionary Governing Council]. Budapesti Közlöny: Hivatalos lap [Budapest Gazette: Official Journal] (in Hungarian). 53 (69). Budapest: Athenaeum: 2. 24 March 1919.
1. §. Mindennemü szeszes ital kimérése, forgalombahozatala és fogyasztása tilos.
[§ 1. The sale, distribution and consumption of all alcoholic beverages is prohibited.] - ↑ "A Népgazdasági Tanács 91. N. T. számú rendelete" [Decree No. 91 of the People's Economic Council]. Tanácsköztársaság: Hivatalos lap [Soviet Republic: Official Journal] (in Hungarian). 1 (99). Budapest: Athenaeum: 1. 23 July 1919.
1. §. Minden dolgozó, aki 18-ik életévét betöltötte, naponkint félliter (0'5 l.) bort fogyaszthat.
[§ 1. All workers who have reached the age of 18 can consume half a liter (0.5 L) of wine daily.] - ↑ Hem, Per Eivind; Hem, Erlend (2012). "Et regelverk fullt av smutthull - legenes reseptrett i forbudstiden 1916 - 26". Tidsskrift for den Norske Legeforening (in Norwegian). 132 (23). Norwegian Medical Association: 2636–2640. doi:10.4045/tidsskr.12.1207. ISSN 0029-2001. PMID 23338098.
- ↑ "Alcohol's role in the relationship between Sweden and Norway". Sciencenorway (in Norwegian). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ↑ "After 200-Year Prohibition Liquor Now Flows on Pitcairn Island". Pitcairn Islands Study Center. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ↑ "Coronavirus: South Africa bans alcohol sales again to combat Covid-19". BBC News. 13 July 2020.
- ↑ "Coronavirus: South Africans cheer as alcohol goes back on sale". BBC News. 1 June 2020.
- ↑ "South Africa: Queues as ban on alcohol and cigarettes ends". BBC News. 18 August 2020.
