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Alcohol consumption has decreased for nearly twenty years

In 2024, the total consumption of alcohol in Finland was 8.3 litres of 100% alcohol per resident aged 15 and over. Total consumption has not been this low since the 1970s, although the figures are not fully comparable regarding unrecorded consumption. In the long term, consumption has decreased almost continuously since 2008.

Consumption of alcoholic beverages measured as 100% alcohol per resident aged 15 or over 1960-2024, litres.
Year Total consumption Recorded consumption Unrecorded consumption
1960 3,7 2,7 1,0
3,9 2,9 1,0
4,0 3,0 1,0
4,1 3,1 1,0
4,1 3,1 1,0
4,3 3,3 1,0
4,5 3,5 1,0
4,6 3,6 1,0
4,9 3,9 1,0
6,4 5,7 0,7
1970 6,5 5,8 0,7
7,1 6,4 0,7
7,6 6,8 0,8
8,2 7,4 0,8
9,1 8,4 0,7
9,0 8,0 1,0
9,0 8,1 0,9
9,2 8,2 1,0
8,9 7,9 1,0
9,0 7,8 1,2
1980 9,0 7,9 1,1
9,3 8,0 1,3
9,2 7,9 1,3
9,3 7,9 1,4
9,5 8,1 1,4
9,4 8,0 1,4
9,9 8,5 1,4
10,2 8,8 1,4
10,4 9,0 1,4
10,9 9,4 1,5
1990 11,0 9,5 1,5
10,8 9,2 1,6
10,3 8,9 1,4
10,0 8,4 1,6
9,8 8,2 1,6
11,0 8,3 2,7
10,6 8,2 2,4
10,9 8,6 2,3
10,8 8,6 2,2
10,7 8,6 2,1
2000* 9,8 8,6 1,2
10,0 9,0 1,1
10,4 9,2 1,1
10,4 9,3 1,1
11,8 9,9 1,9
12,1 10,0 2,1
11,8 10,1 1,6
12,0 10,5 1,6
11,9 10,3 1,6
11,7 10,0 1,8
2010 11,5 9,7 1,8
11,6 9,8 1,7
11,0 9,3 1,7
11,0 9,1 1,9
10,6 8,8 1,8
10,3 8,5 1,8
10,3 8,4 1,8
10,0 8,4 1,6
10,1 8,4 1,7
9,8 8,2 1,6
9,2 8,2 1,1
9,0 8,1 0,8
8,9 7,6 1,3
8,7 7,4 1,2
2024 8,3 7,2 1,1

Beer is the most common alcoholic beverage

The majority of alcohol sold in Finland is still beer. Beer accounts for nearly half of recorded consumption. Wines and spirits are the next largest beverage groups. The consumption of long drinks (ready-to-drinks) has grown since 2018, and their share of recorded consumption has steadily increased.

Retail is the most common procurement channel

In Finland, alcohol is mainly purchased from retail outlets. The share of grocery stores and Alko in the total consumption of alcohol was 76% in 2024. The share of alcohol consumed in restaurants has remained at slightly over 10% of total consumption for the past 15 years. As recently as the early 2000s, the share of restaurants was approximately 20%.

According to monitoring studies, passenger imports and purchases from foreign online stores have decreased in recent years, and their combined share is smaller than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Break in the statistics for passenger imports and online purchases

The data collection method for passenger imports and online purchases of alcohol changed at the beginning of 2025. The previous monitoring, based on telephone interviews, has been replaced by an internet panel. The estimates produced by the panel are not comparable with statistics from previous years.

Due to the methodological change, data on passenger imports and online purchases will not be published as part of the Official Statistics of Finland for the statistical years 2025–2027. Estimates for these years will be published as separate THL Working Papers. Based on external sources, there is reason to believe that the internet panel produces estimates higher than the actual level; therefore, the results should be treated with caution. External sources refer to, among others, estimates by the Estonian Institute of Economic Research regarding the amount of alcohol purchased by Finnish tourists.

Read more:

Jääskeläinen et al. Report on the change in the data collection method for passenger imports and online purchases of alcohol and their impact (in Finnish)

About the data in more detail

Background information

Source

Consumption of alcoholic beverages 2024. Statistical Report 29/2025, 13 May 2025. Official Statistics of Finland, Consumption of alcoholic beverages. THL. 

Description of the Statistics

The statistics include data on recorded and unrecorded consumption of alcohol at the national level. The statistics also contain information on the structure of alcohol consumption, regional sales, and the distribution network for alcoholic beverages.

Sales data is obtained from the Alcoholic Beverage Administration Register maintained by the Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV). Data on the sales of alcoholic beverages are collected at the municipal and national aggregate levels.

Data on unrecorded consumption are based on weekly monitoring of passenger imports and alcoholic beverages purchased from abroad via the internet, conducted by Verian (formerly Kantar Public). Data on unrecorded consumption will not be available for the years 2025–2027. The data collection method has changed at the beginning of 2025, and the results are not comparable with previous years. Results will be published separately annually but not as part of the official statistics or as part of total alcohol consumption.

Update schedule

The Consumption of alcoholic beverages statistics are published annually in the spring following the statistical year. A more detailed publication date can be found in the publication calendar for statistics.
Statistics publication calendar

Contact details

Marke Jääskeläinen

Development Manager
tel. +358 29 524 7654
[email protected]