Energy drink consumption among Nordic teenagers is highest in Sweden, according to a new study of more than 4,900 people aged 15 to 19 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Across the Nordic countries, 61% drink energy drinks at least once a week and 22% at least once a day, while the corresponding figures in Sweden are 75% and 28%.
The study was published on 22 September and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) led the research in cooperation with public authorities in the other Nordic countries, and the full report includes responses from 4,916 teenagers.
Energy drink consumption varies across the Nordic countries
Sweden records the highest frequency of energy drink consumption in the study, while Denmark has the lowest weekly figure. Finland is also above the Nordic average for weekly consumption.
| Country | At least weekly | At least daily |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 75% | 28% |
| Finland | 65% | 22% |
| Norway | Just over 50% | 18% |
| Iceland | 46% | Not specified |
| Denmark | 43% | 14% |
| Nordic average | 61% | 22% |
The Nordic Council of Ministers reports weekly consumption of 75% in Sweden and 43% in Denmark, compared with a Nordic average of 61%. In Finland, 65% of respondents said they consumed energy drinks at least weekly and 22% at least daily.
In Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health says just over half of young respondents consume energy drinks every week and 18% do so daily. The Nordic study gives Iceland a weekly figure of 46%, although a comparable daily percentage is not specified in the published summary.
The Icelandic results should also be interpreted cautiously because the number of respondents in the country was relatively small, as the Nordic Council of Ministers notes in its presentation of the findings.
Swedish teenagers also consume more caffeine
Swedish teenagers do not report drinking larger quantities on each occasion than their Nordic peers, but the drinks they choose can contain more caffeine.
Sabina Litens Karlsson, a toxicologist and project manager at Livsmedelsverket, told SVT that caffeine concentrations differ between the Nordic countries.
“The most popular energy drink in Sweden contains quite a lot of caffeine. Denmark and Norway have maximum levels, so energy drinks there cannot contain more caffeine than the brands with the lowest content in Sweden.”
The study does not establish why Swedish teenagers consume energy drinks more frequently. Karlsson pointed to differences in regulation and marketing as possible explanations, but the research does not demonstrate that these differences caused the consumption patterns.
Sweden currently has no statutory age limit for buying energy drinks, although many retailers voluntarily apply a minimum age of 15. Norway has taken a different approach and introduced a legal minimum age of 16 for energy drink purchases on 1 January 2026.
Sleep problems are among the most common reported effects
Across the Nordic countries, 30% of respondents reported experiencing negative effects after drinking energy drinks. The most frequently reported problems included heart palpitations, sleep difficulties, headaches and dizziness, according to the Nordic study.
In Sweden, 38% of energy drink consumers reported sleep difficulties. Fifteen percent of Nordic consumers also said they had experienced discomfort when they did not consume energy drinks, with tiredness and headaches among the most common symptoms.
Around 17% said they felt unable to manage their day without an energy drink, while almost half reported feeling this way at least occasionally.
These findings are based on self-reported experiences and symptoms. They do not constitute clinical diagnoses of caffeine dependence.
Taste is the most common reason teenagers give for consuming energy drinks. The Nordic Council of Ministers reports that 73% cited taste, 51% said they drank them to get more energy and 34% to stay awake. Boys also reported more frequent consumption than girls.
Finnish teenagers tend to start younger
Finland differs from the other Nordic countries in the age at which some teenagers begin consuming energy drinks. One in four Finnish respondents said they had started before the age of 12, while around one in three began at 12 or 13, according to Yle’s reporting on the study.
Finnish teenagers were also more likely than respondents elsewhere in the Nordic region to report consuming coffee or iced coffee.
Across all five countries, 39% of respondents said they had started consuming energy drinks at the age of 13 or younger, while only 16% said they never drink them, according to the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The research also found that around one in three teenagers who consume energy drinks would like to reduce their intake. Cost and health concerns were among the main reasons, while higher prices were the measure respondents most frequently said could encourage them to drink less.
Nordic authorities are preparing policy recommendations
The study is the first part of a broader Nordic project examining ways to reduce energy drink consumption among young people.
From autumn 2026, researchers plan to involve teenagers through youth panels to discuss possible measures. The Nordic Council of Ministers says the project is expected to produce policy recommendations in summer 2027.
The findings show substantial differences between the five Nordic countries, but they do not establish that these differences are caused by individual national regulations. They instead provide a common Nordic dataset for examining how factors including caffeine content, marketing, prices and access to energy drinks may influence teenage consumption.
