Per capita consumption of alcohol in the Nordic countries 1990-2021
In 2021, among the Nordic countries Norway had the lowest alcohol consumption of 7.4 liters per capita. That same year, the per capita consumption volume of alcohol amounted to 7.6 liters in Sweden. In Finland, the corresponding volume was even higher. By comparison, Denmark had the highest per capita alcohol consumption of 10.4 liters. In general, all Nordic countries except Denmark have strong restrictions on the sales of alcohol. This applies to all beverages with higher alcohol content; low alcohol drinks are thus available in regular supermarkets and convenience stores.
Norway and Sweden
In Norway, beverages with an alcohol content higher than 4.75 percent are only allowed to be sold by Vinmonopolet, the government-owned alcoholic beverage retailer. In Sweden, even beverages with an alcohol content higher than 3.5 percent are only allowed to be sold by Systembolaget, which is the country’s government-owned chain of liquor stores.
Comparison: Denmark
Danish supermarkets, kiosks and other shops are allowed to sell all kinds of alcohol. The average annual sales volume of pure alcohol per person in the country declined overall since 2010 and amounted to 7.5 liters sold in 2023.
