Standard Drink Size Chart
See how much beer, wine or spirits makes one standard drink in each country, and change the strengths to match your drink.
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How to use the Standard drink size chart
- Find the Beer strength (% ABV) box. It starts at 5. Change it to the alcohol by volume (ABV) printed on your beer’s label.
- Enter the Wine strength (% ABV) in the second box. It starts at 12.
- Enter the Spirits strength (% ABV) in the third box. It starts at 40.
- Scroll down to the chart. It has one row for each of the 21 countries.
- Find the country you need. The grams column shows the pure alcohol in that country’s standard drink.
- Read across to the beer, wine and spirits columns. The headings update with your strengths, for example “Beer at 5%”, and each cell gives the volume in ml and fluid ounces.
- Repeat for another country, or use the Copy link button to copy a link to the chart.
Only the three strength boxes change the volumes. The grams for each country stay the same. Germany, Switzerland and Mexico publish a range of grams rather than one figure, so the chart marks those rows and uses the WHO reference of 10 g for them. Use the Copy link button when you want to pass the chart to someone else.
The country rows are listed alphabetically. Scroll the table sideways on a phone to see all the columns.
How much is one standard drink?
One standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, not a fixed size of glass. Countries set different amounts, from 8 g in the United Kingdom to 14 g in the United States. The chart lists each country’s grams so you can see the amount behind its drink count.
The UK’s figure is one unit, which the NHS sets at 8 g. The US figure of 14 g matches CDC and NIAAA guidance. A standard drink is a counting unit, so it tells you how to tally drinks, not what a particular glass holds.
How many ounces of beer, wine or spirits is a standard drink?
It depends on the strength of the drink. In the United States, one standard drink is 12 fl oz of 5% beer, 5 fl oz of 12% wine, or 1.5 fl oz of 40% spirits. Stronger drinks need a smaller volume to hold the same grams of alcohol.
The chart uses this formula: volume in ml = grams x 100 / (strength x 0.789). The 0.789 is the density of ethanol in grams per ml. For the US 14 g at 5%: 14 x 100 / (5 x 0.789) = about 355 ml, or 12 fl oz. The same 14 g in 40% spirits gives about 44 ml (1.5 fl oz).
Is a standard drink the same in every country?
No. The grams in one standard drink range from 8 g in the United Kingdom to 14 g in the United States. Italy, Sweden and Denmark use 12 g, while Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Spain and several others use 10 g. The same beer can count as a different number of drinks depending on the country.
Because a standard drink is a counting unit, comparing two countries means comparing grams, not glasses. A drink poured at home is often larger than the standard measure.
How many grams of alcohol are in a standard drink?
A standard drink holds between 8 and 14 grams of pure alcohol, depending on the country. The United States uses 14 g, Canada uses 13.45 g, Australia uses 10 g and the United Kingdom uses 8 g. To check any drink, multiply its volume by its strength and by 0.789, then divide by 100.
For example, a 355 ml can of 5% beer contains 355 x 5 x 0.789 / 100, which is about 14 g. A 44 ml shot of 40% spirits gives about 13.9 g. The conversion measures alcohol content only and does not say how much is appropriate for any person.
How much beer, wine and spirits is one standard drink?
In the United States one standard drink is 14 g of pure alcohol: about 12 fl oz of 5% beer, 5 fl oz of 12% wine or 1.5 fl oz of 40% spirits. Other countries use other amounts, from 8 g in the UK to 14 g in the US. This chart converts each country’s figure into millilitres and fluid ounces of each kind of drink.
| Grams in one standard drink | Countries | Beer at 5% | Wine at 12% | Spirits at 40% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 g | United Kingdom | 203 ml, 6.9 fl oz | 84 ml, 2.9 fl oz | 25 ml, 0.9 fl oz |
| 10 g | Australia, Brazil, France, Hong Kong SAR China, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain | 253 ml, 8.6 fl oz | 106 ml, 3.6 fl oz | 32 ml, 1.1 fl oz |
| 10 g | Germany*, Mexico*, Switzerland* | 253 ml, 8.6 fl oz | 106 ml, 3.6 fl oz | 32 ml, 1.1 fl oz |
| 12 g | Denmark, Italy, Sweden | 304 ml, 10.3 fl oz | 127 ml, 4.3 fl oz | 38 ml, 1.3 fl oz |
| 13.45 g | Canada | 341 ml, 11.5 fl oz | 142 ml, 4.8 fl oz | 43 ml, 1.4 fl oz |
| 14 g | United States | 355 ml, 12 fl oz | 148 ml, 5 fl oz | 44 ml, 1.5 fl oz |
Countries marked * publish a range of grams (Germany, Switzerland, Mexico), so the WHO reference of 10 g is used for them.
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
The volume of one standard drink = the country’s grams of pure alcohol per standard drink x 100 / (strength in % ABV x 0.789 g/ml). Countries that publish a range use the WHO 10 g reference.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does the chart say how much alcohol is safe to drink?
No. The page converts grams of alcohol into volumes and makes no health claim. Use the chart to compare standard drink sizes, not to judge a limit.
Why does a drink I pour at home look bigger than the chart?
A home pour is often larger than the standard measure. The chart shows the volume that holds a country’s standard number of grams, so a generous pour contains more than one standard drink.
Do I need to change the strength boxes?
The boxes start at 5% for beer, 12% for wine and 40% for spirits. Every row’s volumes depend on these numbers, so change them to match the label on your drink for accurate results.
Are the volumes shown in metric and imperial units?
Yes. Each cell gives the volume in millilitres and fluid ounces. For example, the US standard beer volume appears as 355 ml (12 fl oz) at 5% strength.
Where does each country’s figure come from?
From the national health agency that publishes it. The standard drink calculator on this site shows the agency and the official source link for every country.
Do the strengths change the country figures?
No. A country’s grams per standard drink stay the same. Only the volume of drink that holds those grams changes with the strength.
Related tools
- Standard drink calculator: use it when you want to count standard drinks from a single serving.
- How many ounces in a shot: use it when you need the fluid ounce size of one shot.
- Alcohol conversion calculator: use it when you are converting between alcohol measures.
- Alcohol units chart: use it when you are working in UK units rather than standard drinks.
- Standard drinks in a bottle: use it when you want to count standard drinks in a bottle of wine.
- Alcohol unit calculator: use it when you need a quick unit total for one drink.