Population-wide interventions are the most cost-effective approach to tackle the root causes of and reduce the overall alcohol consumption and harm. Many global commitments and surveillance systems use this population-wide approach to track progress in the implementation of alcohol control policies. The alcohol per capita consumption is available for almost all countries on a yearly basis since 1996. The trends of alcohol per capita consumption have consistently shown a direct association with alcohol harm and mortality. The indicator is also sensitive to variations in the implementation of alcohol control policies, and more recently it has been used in modelling alcohol consumption worldwide. This event aims at discussing the validity and reliability of alcohol per capita consumption, its sensitivity to describe changes in alcohol control policies and reflect on the implication of COVID-19 pandemic in alcohol consumption projected trends by 2030.