Australians are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world, drinking more than ten litres of pure alcohol per year, according to a new data.

The figures released by the World Health Organisation show Australians drink more pure alcohol per year than Americans, Canadians and the Japanese.

“Australians drink 10.6 litres of pure alcohol each year, much higher than the global average of 6.4 litres,” according to the authors of the report.

But in France the average person consumed more than 12 litres of pure alcohol a year, while in Russia the average was around 11.7 litres.

The report also found Australians were among the highest binge drinkers in the world.

The report found 40 per cent of alcohol consumption in Australia was beer, while 37 per cent was wine. Image: Getty

Defined as “heavy episodic drinking” (HED), where 60 grams of pure alcohol is consumed in one sitting, Australia was ranked among some of the highest nations in the world.

At least 45 per cent of Australian drinkers were identified as binge drinkers, ranking among other nations of binge drinkers including Russia, Romania, Peru and Angola.

Young Aussies aged between 15 and 19 were also more likely to binge drink with 38.9 per cent of the population in that cohort drinking to excess.

The Global status report on alcohol and health 2018 found more than three million people died as a result of harmful use of alcohol in 2016, with three quarters of those deaths men.

Alcohol consumption is expected to increase within the next 10 years, with an estimated 2.3 billion people current drinkers.

The average daily consumption is 33 grams of pure alcohol, equivalent to two glasses of wine; a large bottle of beer or two shots of spirits.

– with AAP