List of countries with alcohol prohibition

Present

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. They can range from bans on sales during certain times to complete bans.

• Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
• (illegal in public, legal in restaurants, bars, hotels and homes)
• (license required; illegal during Ramadan)
• (sales banned in public places except for bars and restaurants)
• (alcohol sales in public places illegal; taxes apply in Republika Srpska. Banned in BH Airlines flights for Muslims)
• (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)
• • Yukon (in some communities)
  • Northwest Territories (in some communities)
  • Nunavut (in some communities)
  • Quebec (in some communities)
• (prohibited in public places, except for bars and restaurants. Sale is banned countrywide on election days)
• China (in regions with Muslim-majority population within Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang)
• Comoros (for Muslims during Ramadan)
• Egypt illegal to drink in public places and during Ramadan.
• • Gujarat
  • Bihar
  • Nagaland
  • Mizoram
• (Aceh province only; public consumption illegal, allowance in certain cases for Non-Muslims and foreign tourists that drink in private)
• (home production legal for Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians; commercial production illegal)
• (parliamentary ban, rarely enforced)
• (selling in stores between 10 p.m. and 10:30 a.m (12:30 p.m. on Sundays) is illegal, pubs are confined to set hours for sale of alcohol)
• (selling in stores between 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. is illegal; serving at bars, restaurants and clubs always legal)
• it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18; serving alcohol in restaurants and bars is illegal between 3 am and 6 am; the sale in stores and supermarkets is prohibited from midnight to 6 am.
• (sales illegal in some villages, consumption remains legal)
• (forbidden even for non-Muslims and tourists, except foreign diplomats)
• (excluding non-Muslims; some states ban drinking in public)
• Kelantan
• Terengganu
• (legal for foreigners at licensed establishments; transport of alcohol illegal)
• (illegal to drink alcohol in public streets and to carry open alcohol containers in public)
• (illegal in public; alcohol must be purchased and consumed in licensed hotels, bars, and tourist areas, and is sold in most major supermarkets)
• (only sold in stores within a certain time period on weekdays. Illegal to drink in public, except at bars and restaurants. Nightclubs and bars are not allowed to serve after 3 a.m. Alcohol stronger than 4.7% is only sold in designated stores (Vinmonopolet), but beer or cider of 4.7% or less can be bought in grocery stores.)
• (legal for non-Muslim foreigners at restaurants, hotels and bars; at home with license; illegal in public)
• (legal for Non-Muslims and foreigners, served at Hotels and can be bought at Wine stores; Illegal for Muslims; public consumption illegal)
• (illegal in some localities - such as the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip -, but legal in Palestine's West Bank)
• (forbidden sales on election day and the day before; foreigners allowed on these days on establishments with permits)
• (illegal in public, but allowed in bars and some restaurants)
• (legal for tourists at hotels and bars as well as expatriates with permits)
• • Chechnya (illegal for Muslims)
• (Since 1952, sale and possession completely illegal for all residents and tourists, including non-Muslims; exception only to foreign diplomats)
• (excluding non-Muslims in private)
• (sales partially restricted for Muslims since 2024; exceptions apply for non-Muslim population such as Christians)
• (sales only banned on Fridays and during Ramadan)
• (illegal on trains, airplanes, and ferries as well as sports facilities; sales banned on weekends and holidays unless at bars and restaurants)
• • Birmingham Bournville (The sale of alcohol is not permitted in the Bournville area of Birmingham and thus no licensed premisies exist in the village).
  • Northern Ireland (Alcohol cannot be sold after 22:00 and before 08:00.)
  • Scotland (Alcohol cannot be sold in shops before 10:00, or after 22:00, sales in bars, pubs, nightclubs and other licensed establishments is permitted)
• (dry counties for sales)
• (illegal; before the war, there were exceptions for tourists at certain hotels in Aden and Sana'a)
• (illegal for Muslims, illegal in Sharjah; public consumption illegal)

Past

• Canada1918–1920 (see prohibition in Canada)
• 1907–1992 (see 1907 Faroese alcohol referendum)
• 1919–1932
• March 21August 1, 1919Sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited (partial ban from July 23).
• 1915–1935 (see prohibition in Iceland)However beer with an alcohol content exceeding 2.25% was prohibited until 1989.
• 1962–1990
• 1916–1926, distilled spirits banned; 1917-1923 fortified wines banned.
• 1612–1640 (prohibition by Murad IV)
• March 25May 8, 2020Sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited as part of the social distancing measures against Covid-19.
• 1966–1986
• 1790-2009
• and the July 19, 1914 – August 28, 1925; 1929;
• (temporary ban to prevent drunken violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa)
• – In November 2020, the UAE introduced reforms that include the decriminalisation of alcohol for those 21 and over, except the Emirate of Sharjah.
• 1920–1933 (see prohibition in the United States)

Notes

References

References

1. "Community Restrictions and Prohibitions".
2. "Alcohol Prohibition in Foreign Countries".
3. (3 January 2022). "Afghan agents pour 3,000 litres of alcohol into Kabul canal amid crackdown | Afghanistan | the Guardian".
4. (2008). "A Taste for Law: Rule-Making in Kabylia (Algeria)". Comparative Studies in Society and History.
5. "Bangladesh loosens its booze laws". The Economist.
6. "Alcohol Policy in Belarus".
7. "Legacy".
8. "Zabrana svinjetine u bosanskim avionima".
9. "Local laws and customs - Brunei travel advice".
10. (16 October 2018). "Nunavut, N.W.T and Yukon to allow communities to block opening of cannabis stores". The Globe and Mail.
11. "Alcohol, Drug Use and Gambling Among the Inuit of Nunavik : Epidemiological Profile".
12. "Ley 19925: Ley Sobre Expendio y Consumo de Bebidas Alcoholicas".
13. (9 October 2020). "China's Civil Servant Booze Bans Creep into Private Time".
14. (21 November 2018). "China Arrests Muslims in Xinjiang Province for Not Drinking Alcohol".
15. "Union of the Comoros – 2017 International Religious Freedom Report".
16. Mamtany, Sidhant. (2019-05-28). "List of states that have imposed complete ban on alcohol consumption".
17. "Gujarat: 28 Dead, Several Hospitalised After Consuming Spurious Alcohol".
18. (6 April 2016). "States with total and phase-wise prohibition of alcohol in India". [[The Indian Express]].
19. "India's Bihar alcohol ban struck down". BBC News.
20. (7 September 2016). "No prohibition here - Taipei Times".
21. "'Drunk, naked': Australian man arrested over violent rampage in Aceh".
22. Pulau Weh Alcohol Drink & Dining on Sabang, Weh Island, Aceh, Safari Wisata International
23. (7 August 2019). "Alcohol in Iran: A Complete Guide to Iran's Drinking Policy for Tourists". Mah Card.
24. (27 October 2016). "Iraq might be having second thoughts about the new law banning alcohol".
25. Citizensinformation.ie. "Alcohol and the law".
26. "Knesset bans alcohol sales after 11 p.m.". [[The Jerusalem Post]].
27. (19 July 2001). "Alcohol drinking patterns among Jewish and Arab men and women in Israel". Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
28. (10 May 2024). "Milan: New rules against "bad nightlife" for shops, stop alcohol sales from 22pm".
29. (14 April 2023). "Buying And Drinking Alcohol In Italy".
30. (26 May 2025). "Two more villages in Kazakhstan give up alcohol".
31. https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/kuwait/#:~:text=The%20law%20prohibits%20eating%2C%20drinking,%2C%20trade%2C%20or%20manufacture%20alcohol. State - 2022 Report on International Freedom - Kuwait
32. (11 March 2013). "Libya alcohol poisoning kills 51".
33. "Alcohol Policies in Malaysia". Travel Tips - USA Today.
34. "Alcohol Policies in Malaysia". Travel Tips - USA Today.
35. "Guide to Maldives | Magic of Maldives".
36. "Trouble brewing". The Economist.
37. https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-things-to-never-do-there-according-to-local Business Insider - Mexico
38. "What is Prohibited in Morocco? 8 Points to Keep in Mind".
39. "Lov om omsetning av alkoholholdig drikk m.v. (alkoholloven)".
40. "15 things to know before visiting Oman".
41. (27 July 2021). "Women Tell Us How They Illegally Buy Alcohol and Drugs in Pakistan - VICE".
42. https://ecpalestine.org/alcohol-in-the-west-bank-palestine/#:~:text=The%20West%20Bank%2C%20Palestine%20is,it%20on%20the%20local%20level. Alcohol in the West Bank, Palestine
43. (9 May 2013). "Cheers! Here's to SC rule cutting liquor ban duration". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
44. (21 March 2025). "RULES & REGULATIONS - Poland Travel (EN) PROD".
45. (8 July 2022). "Will fans be allowed to drink alcohol at 2022 World Cup Qatar?".
46. "Ramzanistan: Chechnya chokes under Kadyrov's dictatorship".
47. (27 May 2022). "Saudi tourism official clarifies country's stand on alcohol consumption".
48. (January 24, 2024). "Saudi Arabia Opens First Ever Alcohol Store Accessible to a Select Group".
49. (23 September 2020). "Somalia: Somali Police Seize Illicit Alcohol".
50. (12 July 2020). "Sudan scraps apostasy law and alcohol ban for non-Muslims". BBC News, Africa.
51. "Syria reverses bar closures in Damascus Christian areas".
52. (January 2019). "New law in Turkmenistan cracks down sharply on alcohol sales".
53. (17 February 2024). "Beautiful UK village where alcohol is banned for a very strange reason". The Mirror.
54. "When can you sell alcohol in Northern Ireland? {{!}} nibusinessinfo.co.uk".
55. (4 January 2012). "Yemen hotel serving alcohol attacked; 2 dead".
56. (7 November 2020). "United Arab Emirates relaxes Islamic laws on alcohol and cohabitation, criminalizes 'honor' killings".
57. Wuorinen, John H.. (1932). "Finland's Prohibition Experiment". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.
58. (24 March 1919). "A Forradalmi Kormányzótanács II. sz. rendelete". Athenaeum.
59. (23 July 1919). "A Népgazdasági Tanács 91. N. T. számú rendelete". Athenaeum.
60. (2012). "Et regelverk fullt av smutthull - legenes reseptrett i forbudstiden 1916 - 26". Norwegian Medical Association.
61. (2019-06-14). "Alcohol's role in the relationship between Sweden and Norway".
62. (April 8, 2009). "After 200-Year Prohibition Liquor Now Flows on Pitcairn Island". Pitcairn Islands Study Center.
63. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53382797 "Coronavirus: South Africa bans alcohol sales again to combat Covid-19"]. BBC News. July 13, 2020.
64. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52874767 "Coronavirus: South Africans cheer as alcohol goes back on sale"]. [[BBC News]]. June 1, 2020.
65. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53821096 "South Africa: Queues as ban on alcohol and cigarettes ends"]. BBC News. August 18, 2020.