Alcohol Unit Calculator
The Alcohol Unit Calculator computes alcohol unit from the relation units = volume in ml x ABV percent divided by 1000. It takes 2 inputs (volume of drink in ml, alcohol by volume in %) and returns the alcohol unit. These calculators are for anyone keeping an eye on their own eating, drinking, activity or body measurements, and for coaches, trainers and anyone working through the same figures on behalf of someone else; the result is a starting point for a practical decision such as setting a daily intake, pacing a session, judging a portion, or checking whether a weight or fitness goal is realistic before committing to it. Enter your values below and the result updates instantly, and you can share a permalink that pre-fills the exact calculation. Type each figure in the unit named on its own field, because these tools variously ask for kilograms or pounds, centimetres or metres, millilitres, calories and minutes, and a value typed in the wrong unit still returns an answer that looks perfectly plausible; where a tool asks you to choose a factor rather than measure one, such as an activity level, a MET value, a stride length or a share of calories, that choice moves the result far more than a small measurement error will, so keep it consistent whenever you compare one run against another. For example, with volume of drink = 175 ml, alcohol by volume = 13 %, the alcohol unit works out to 2.275, and the worked example further down the page shows every step so you can follow the arithmetic and reproduce it by hand. The method is the standard form documented by NHS Alcohol units, and the figure above each result carries the date it was last verified. None of these formulas can see the individual behind the numbers: the energy and activity figures rely on conversion factors that hold on average but vary a good deal from one person to the next, and the body measurement results describe a ratio or a range rather than a state of health, so nothing here accounts for muscle mass, body composition, medical conditions, medication, pregnancy or, for children and adolescents, normal growth and development; use the figure as background for a conversation with a doctor, dietitian or other qualified health professional, not as a target to act on by itself.
With Volume of drink = 175 ml, Alcohol by volume = 13 %, the result is 2.275.
Applies to: any numeric inputs. Method source: NHS Alcohol units, checked 2026-06-23.
The formula
units = volume in ml x ABV percent divided by 1000
Worked example
With Volume of drink = 175 ml, Alcohol by volume = 13 %:
- Multiply volume in ml by ABV percent: 175 x 13
- Divide by 1000
- Alcohol units = 2.275
- Alcohol Unit = 2.275
This worked example is one of the automated golden-value tests this calculator must pass before it can publish.
What this assumes
- Inputs are real numbers in the units shown.
- The result is the exact value of units = volume in ml x ABV percent divided by 1000; general information, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
What formula does this use?
units = volume in ml x ABV percent divided by 1000, the standard form documented by NHS Alcohol units.
Does the result ever change over time?
No. This is a pure formula with no external rate, so the same inputs always give the same result.
Official sources and verification
- Method: NHS Alcohol units, checked 2026-06-23.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 2026-06-23. See our methodology. General information, not professional advice.