Standard Drink Calculator
Enter the size and strength of a drink to see how many standard drinks it is, and what that drink is in every other country's standard.
| Country | One standard drink | Defined by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 14 g | CDC | 2026-10-24 |
| United Kingdom | 8 g | NHS | 2026-10-24 |
| Canada | 13.45 g | Health Canada | 2026-10-24 |
| Australia | 10 g | healthdirect (Australian Government health information service) | 2026-10-24 |
| New Zealand | 10 g | Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora (alcohol.org.nz) | 2026-10-24 |
| Ireland | 10 g | HSE | 2026-10-24 |
| France | 10 g | Santé publique France | 2026-10-24 |
| Spain | 10 g | Ministerio de Sanidad | 2026-10-24 |
| Italy | 12 g | Istituto Superiore di Sanità | 2026-10-24 |
| Netherlands | 10 g | Trimbos-instituut (national institute) | 2026-10-24 |
| Sweden | 12 g | Alkoholhjälpen (Beroendecentrum Stockholm, Region Stockholm) | 2026-10-24 |
| Denmark | 12 g | sundhed.dk (Danish national health portal) | 2026-10-24 |
| Poland | 10 g | PARPA (state agency) | 2026-10-24 |
| Portugal | 10 g | Direção-Geral da Saúde (Norma 030/2012) | 2026-10-24 |
| Brazil | 10 g | Ministério da Saúde (Nota Técnica 263/2024) | 2026-10-24 |
| Japan | 10 g | MHLW (Alcohol Watch) | 2026-10-24 |
| Singapore | 10 g | HealthHub (HPB / MOH) | 2026-10-24 |
| Hong Kong | 10 g | Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health | 2026-10-24 |
| Germany | 10 to 12 g (guidance gives a range) | BIÖG (formerly BZgA) | 2026-10-24 |
| Switzerland | 10 to 12 g (guidance gives a range) | Bundesamt für Gesundheit (BAG) | 2026-10-24 |
| Mexico | 12 to 15 g (guidance gives a range) | Secretaría de Salud | 2026-10-24 |
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
This standard drink calculator tells you how many standard drinks are in an alcoholic drink. You enter the drink’s size and strength, choose a country, and the tool shows the standard drinks, the grams of pure alcohol, and the equivalent in UK units.
It runs in your browser and is free to use. You can start from a preset, such as a 750 ml bottle of 12.5% wine or a UK pint of 4% beer, or enter your own size and strength. Standard drink rules differ by country, so the page also shows the same drink against every listed country’s standard. That lets you see how the count changes.
How to use the Standard drink calculator
- Open the Drink dropdown and pick a preset, such as Wine 750 ml bottle 12.5%. Choose Custom drink if your drink is not listed.
- Type the amount into the Size box, then set the Unit dropdown to ml, cl, litres, US fl oz, UK fl oz, US pints or UK pints. Pick the unit printed on your bottle or can if you can.
- Check the Strength (% ABV) box. Use the percentage on your label, and change the box if it differs from the preset.
- Enter a number in the Number of drinks box if you are counting more than one of the same drink.
- Open the Country dropdown and select the country whose standard drink you want to use. The list covers 21 countries.
- Read the result. It shows the standard drinks for that country, the grams of pure alcohol in total, and the equivalent in UK units.
- Scroll to the table below the result. It lists the same drink in the standard drink of every listed country, with your chosen country highlighted.
To keep your settings, press the Copy link button. It saves the settings in the page address, so opening that address later brings back the same drink and country. Changing the country changes the standard drink count, but the grams of pure alcohol stay the same.
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine?
A 750 ml bottle of 12.5% wine holds 74.0 g of pure alcohol. That is 5.28 US standard drinks, 7.40 Australian standard drinks or 9.25 UK standard drinks. The count depends on the country because each one sets its standard drink at a different number of grams.
To work it out yourself:
- Multiply the volume by the strength: 750 × 12.5 ÷ 100 = 93.75 ml of pure alcohol.
- Multiply by the density of ethanol, 0.789 g/ml: 93.75 × 0.789 = 74.0 g.
- Divide by the grams in your country’s standard drink: 74.0 ÷ 14 = 5.28 for the US, 74.0 ÷ 10 = 7.40 for Australia, and 74.0 ÷ 8 = 9.25 for the UK.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Pure alcohol | 74.0 g |
| US standard drinks (14 g) | 5.28 |
| Australian standard drinks (10 g) | 7.40 |
| UK standard drinks (8 g) | 9.25 |
| UK units | 9.4 |
UK units are not the same as UK standard drinks. One UK unit is 10 ml of pure alcohol, about 7.9 g, so the unit count comes out slightly higher than the UK standard drink count for the same bottle. The same method works for any bottle: change the volume or strength and repeat the three steps.
How many grams of alcohol is a standard drink?
A standard drink holds about 14 g of pure alcohol in the US, 10 g in twelve of the 21 listed countries, and 8 g in the UK. Canada uses 13.45 g, while Germany, Switzerland and Mexico publish ranges. Each figure comes from the agency that sets it in that country.
Grams come from the drink’s volume and strength. The formula is grams of pure alcohol = volume in ml × strength (% ABV) ÷ 100 × 0.789, where 0.789 g/ml is the density of ethanol. The US figure of about 14 g, set by NIAAA, matches a 12 fl oz can of regular beer at 5%, a 5 fl oz glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5 fl oz shot of 40% spirits.
Applying the formula to a 330 ml beer at 5% gives 13.0 g. Dividing that same amount by each country’s standard shows how much the count moves:
| Country standard | Grams per standard drink | Standard drinks in 330 ml 5% beer |
|---|---|---|
| US | 14 | 0.93 |
| Australia | 10 | 1.30 |
| UK | 8 | 1.63 |
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
Grams of pure alcohol = volume in ml x strength (% ABV) / 100 x 0.789 g/ml (density of ethanol). Standard drinks = grams / the grams in that country’s standard drink, using the figure the national health body publishes. Countries that publish a range (Germany, Switzerland, Mexico) use the WHO 10 g reference and are marked. UK units = ABV x ml / 1,000.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is a standard drink the same in every country?
No. Germany and Switzerland use a range of 10 to 12 g, and Mexico uses 12 to 15 g. For those three, the page uses the WHO reference of 10 g and says so. Every country value on the page names its defining agency, links to the official source and shows the date checked, 24 October 2026.
How do I calculate standard drinks?
Work out the grams of pure alcohol from the volume and strength, then divide by the grams in your country’s standard drink. Enter the size, unit, strength and country in the tool and it does both steps for you.
Is a standard drink the same as a UK unit?
No. A UK unit is 10 ml of pure alcohol, about 7.9 g, while a UK standard drink is 8 g. The two counts therefore differ for the same drink, as the wine example above shows.
Does a standard drink show how strong a drink will feel?
No. The standard drink is a counting unit for tracking. It is not a measure of safety or of how a person will feel after drinking.
How many standard drinks are in a UK pint of beer?
A UK pint (568 ml) of 4% beer holds 17.9 g of pure alcohol. That is 1.28 US standard drinks or 2.24 UK standard drinks.
What does the Copy link button save?
It saves the settings you have chosen in the page address. Opening that address later restores them.
Related tools
- Alcohol unit calculator: use it when you want your drinks counted in UK units.
- Alcohol calorie calculator: use it to estimate the energy in the drinks you are counting.
- Alcohol tracker: use it to log drinks over several days.
- Alcohol-free days counter: use it to count the days you go without drinking.
- How many glasses of wine in a bottle: pour sizes for any bottle and glass.
- Get help: use it for free helplines.