A new study has found that women in Ireland are some of the heaviest female drinkers in the world.

More than a quarter of Irish women were classified as binge drinkers and ranked fourth in a league table of 189 countries.

Only women in Lithuania, Moldova and the Czech Republic drink more than Irish women, according to the study by The Lancet medical journal.

Some 54% of Irish men were classified as heavy episodic drinkers, and 40% of the country’s overall population. The study defines binge drinking as drinking six or more drinks at least once a month.

The report found that alcohol intake is on the rise, with global alcohol intake increasing from 5.9 litres to 6.5 litres between 1990 and 2017. It is estimated that half of all adults will drink alcohol by 2030. The number of binge drinkers globally is expected to rise from 20% to 23% in 2030.