Which countries receive the most tequila per adult? The historical estimate below put Mexico first, Latvia second and the United States third. It converts 2023 tequila shipments into 1.5-ounce shots and divides by estimated adult populations. Those figures describe apparent supply per adult, rather than measuring what residents actually drink. Newer 2025 export and US sales figures are given separately.
Tequila has expanded far beyond its party-shot reputation, with celebrity-backed brands and premium bottles reaching more drinkers. The recent US sales picture is more subdued: tequila and mezcal combined sold 32.106 million nine-litre cases in 2025, down 0.3% from 2024, according to DISCUS’s 2025 tables. That category includes both spirits and is separate from the historical tequila-only estimate below.
The per-adult comparison below uses 2023 shipment data and 2021 population demographics. For the newer export-destination ranking, see our comparison of the biggest tequila markets.
Table of Contents
Top ten countries in the historical supply estimate
Historical 2023 tequila supply estimates per adult:
- Mexico
- Latvia
- United States
- Panama
- Singapore
- Spain
- Puerto Rico
- Netherlands
- Australia
- Canada
In the historical 2023 shipment-based estimate, Latvia ranked second at about 35 shots per adult and the United States third at about 29. Panama followed at 8.8. Re-exports, tourism and inventory changes can all separate shipments from local consumption, so these are estimates of supply per adult.
Mexico led the historical 2023 supply-per-adult estimate
No prizes for guessing who comes out in first place. Tequila, the national drink of Mexico, is enjoyed by Mexicans in a wide variety of settings. From national holidays like Day of the Dead and Independence Day, to birthday celebrations and visits to the cantina, tequila is never far from life in Mexico. Tequila here is most often sipped straight, or with grapefruit soda added to make a paloma. While Mezcal is certainly on the rise in Mexico, it still has a long way to go to upset tequila as the country’s most popular spirit.
Latvia ranked second in the historical estimate
What makes tequila so popular in Latvia, half a world away from its home in Mexico? While we can’t say for sure, there are a couple of factors that may be contributing. A significant portion of Latvia’s liquor sales (around 15%) appear to be to its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia has a lower tax rate on liquor, so it is common for people from neighboring countries to shop for liquor in Latvia, pushing up their apparent consumption. Secondly, according to the World Health Organization, Latvia has the second highest rate of alcohol consumption generally.
The United States ranked third in the historical estimate
The historical US estimate was about one shot’s worth of tequila supplied per adult every two weeks. In 2025 the US remained Mexico’s largest export destination, receiving 331.3 million litres in CRT’s country table. That shipment volume covers tequila only; DISCUS’s US sales figure above combines tequila and mezcal. Source: CRT’s country export table.
Historical 2023 tequila supply per adult by country
The historical 2023 shipment-based estimate placed New Zealand eleventh, followed by the United Arab Emirates. France and Germany were thirteenth and fourteenth, the UK sixteenth, South Africa twenty-sixth and Ireland thirty-first. These positions belong to that dated estimate, rather than a measured 2025 consumption ranking.
The table includes countries with at least one million residents in the original comparison. A missing country should not be taken as evidence that its residents drink little tequila.
| 2023 supply estimate rank | Country | Estimated shots supplied per adult in 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 52.7 |
| 2 | Latvia | 35.3 |
| 3 | United States Of America | 29.0 |
| 4 | Panama | 8.8 |
| 5 | Singapore | 5.6 |
| 6 | Spain | 4.9 |
| 7 | Puerto Rico | 4.5 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 4.0 |
| 9 | Australia | 4.0 |
| 10 | Canada | 3.4 |
| 11 | New Zealand | 2.9 |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | 2.8 |
| 13 | France | 2.7 |
| 14 | Germany | 2.7 |
| 15 | Greece | 2.4 |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 2.4 |
| 17 | El Salvador | 2.3 |
| 18 | Estonia | 2.2 |
| 19 | Colombia | 2.2 |
| 20 | Italy | 2.0 |
| 21 | Belgium | 1.9 |
| 22 | Costa Rica | 1.8 |
| 23 | Dominican Republic | 1.8 |
| 24 | Trinidad And Tobago | 1.6 |
| 25 | Honduras | 1.6 |
| 26 | South Africa | 1.3 |
| 27 | Chile | 1.3 |
| 28 | Uruguay | 1.3 |
| 29 | Israel | 1.1 |
| 30 | Guatemala | 1.0 |
| 31 | Ireland | 0.9 |
| 32 | Bolivia | 0.9 |
| 33 | Norway | 0.8 |
| 34 | Ecuador | 0.8 |
| 35 | Japan | 0.8 |
| 36 | Paraguay | 0.7 |
| 37 | Jamaica | 0.7 |
| 38 | Portugal | 0.6 |
| 39 | Lebanon | 0.6 |
| 40 | Georgia | 0.5 |
| 41 | Switzerland | 0.5 |
| 42 | Serbia | 0.5 |
| 43 | Nicaragua | 0.5 |
| 44 | Sweden | 0.5 |
| 45 | Philippines | 0.4 |
| 46 | Denmark | 0.4 |
| 47 | Bulgaria | 0.4 |
| 48 | Peru | 0.4 |
| 49 | Hong Kong | 0.4 |
| 50 | Cuba | 0.3 |
| 51 | Hungary | 0.3 |
| 52 | Czech Republic | 0.3 |
| 53 | South Korea | 0.3 |
| 54 | Belarus | 0.3 |
| 55 | Croatia | 0.3 |
| 56 | Austria | 0.2 |
| 57 | Qatar | 0.2 |
| 58 | Turkey | 0.2 |
| 59 | Taiwan | 0.2 |
| 60 | Brazil | 0.2 |
| 61 | Romania | 0.1 |
Methodology
Historical estimate based on CRT production and export figures for 2023 and World Bank population and age demographics for 2021. Adults were taken as age 20 and older. Countries with populations below one million were excluded. A shot was taken as 1.5 ounces, or 44.4 millilitres. Exports and production less exports are supply proxies, affected by stocks, maturation, tourism and re-exports; they do not directly measure how much residents drink.
Learn more about the history and production of tequila.