Swedes drink less alcohol in 2024, according to new figures from the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (Centralförbundet för alkohol- och narkotikaupplysning, CAN). Total consumption fell by around 2.2–2.3% compared with 2023, to 8.4 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15+, roughly 6–6.5% below 2019 levels.
CAN’s 2024 headline numbers: 8.4 litres, −2.2% year‑on‑year
The latest CAN data indicate a steady decline in Sweden’s alcohol consumption. In 2024, the average was 8.4 litres of pure alcohol per person (15+), a drop of about 2.2–2.3% from 2023 and around 6–6.5% lower than 2019.
The figures combine registered sales (Systembolaget, restaurants, grocery stores for folköl) and unregistered sources (travel imports, home production, smuggled alcohol and online purchases), giving a comprehensive picture of total consumption.
Registered vs unregistered: travel imports and smuggling continue to fall
The registered share accounted for about 88% of total consumption in 2024, while unregistered sources made up roughly 12%. Travel imports, home production and purchases of smuggled alcohol all decreased compared with 2023, with a marked reduction in travel imports since 2019.
Systembolaget’s share of the total reached about 72%, the highest level (excluding the pandemic years) since the monitoring series began. Overall registered sales edged down slightly year‑on‑year, reflecting the broader decline.
What Swedes drink: wine leads, beer follows
The product mix changed only marginally. Wine remained the largest category in 2024 at about 43% of total consumption, followed by strong beer at around 33% and spirits at approximately 18%. Folköl (low‑strength beer sold in supermarkets) accounted for roughly 4%, while cider represented close to 2%.
Policy context: Systembolaget’s role and European debates
Sweden’s retail monopoly Systembolaget continues to shape alcohol availability and pricing, a model the World Health Organization has highlighted as contributing to lower consumption and harm across the Nordics.
At the same time, domestic policy debates—such as proposals to permit limited sales at producers’ premises—keep the balance between public‑health goals and market access in focus. For now, the downward trend in overall consumption suggests that the mix of regulation, taxation and retail controls remains effective.
