The highest rates of alcohol consumption in the State are among people living in the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) area.
The latest report from the national health and lifestyle surveys found more than 83 per cent of people in the three health boards which make up the ERHA indicated they regularly consumed alcohol. Lowest rates were recorded in the North Western Health Board region at 72.5 per cent.
The research also showed more men than women were consuming alcohol in all regions, but in the Dublin area the difference was less marked.
For example, 85 per cent of women and 86 per cent of men in the East Coast Area Health Board reported regularly consuming alcohol, a difference of one percentage point between the sexes. This compares with a 17 per cent difference between the women and men in the north-west at 65 per cent and 82 per cent.
In terms of the frequency of drinking, there were also large regional variations, with double the number of respondents reporting they drank five or more times a week in the East Coast Area Health Board region than in the south-east.
People living in the Northern Area Health Board were the most likely to exceed the recommended weekly intake of alcohol, and were almost twice as likely to exceed this limit as people in the south-east.
When students were asked about drinking, 47 per cent of males in the Northern Area Health Board region reported having been really drunk, compared to just 19 per cent of males in the north-east.
Meanwhile 55 per cent of respondents nationally reported being in excellent or very good health. However, there were also significant regional fluctuations. The midlands reported the lowest perceived levels of very good health at 48.9 per cent, while the East Coast Area and South Health Boards reported the highest at over 60 per cent.