INFOGRAPHIC: Filipinos 3rd heaviest drinkers in the world

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos can out-drink everyone in the world except South Koreans and Russians, an international research firm reveals.

Euromonitor said that adults in the Philippines each take 5.4 shots of distilled alcohol weekly, making the country third in the list of the world's heaviest drinkers.

South Koreans take a sizeable amount of alcohol, averaging 13.7 shots per week. Russians, stereotyped as heavy drinkers, only rank second with 6.3 shots per adult a week.

Source: Euromonitor

Euromonitor's country report on alcohol consumption in the Philippines notes that the growth sales of local breweries is stable and sustained by their heavy investment in advertising and other promotions.

"Philippine alcoholic beverages slowed down but recorded stable growth in 2012. The maturation of the beer category, which is the biggest category in the Philippines, contributed to the slower rate," the firm specializing on consumer insights and consumer markets writes in an executive summary.

"Domestic companies continued to facilitate growth in all alcoholic drinks categories," it added.

Sales of non-beer alcoholic drinks such as Asia Brewery's Tanduay Ice, Bel Mondo Italia’s Novellino red wine, and Alliance Global Group’s Emperador brandy led spirits, meanwhile, are growing.

"A shift toward other categories than beer was seen in 2012, as domestic brands in RTDs/high-strength premixes, spirits, and wine facilitated the growth of the market. These categories showed much higher growth than the mature beer category," Euromonitor researchers said.

Infographic by RP Ocampo