Alcoholic beverage consumption

Quality description

The quality description of the Statistics on alcoholic beverage consumption assesses the reliability and suitability of the statistics for different purposes in accordance with the quality description recommendation of the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF).

Relevance of statistical data

The statistics on Alcoholic beverage consumption contain information on recorded alcohol consumption in Finland and an estimate of unrecorded consumption. Recorded consumption of alcoholic beverages comprises retail sales and licensed serving in restaurants in Finland. Unrecorded consumption is estimated annually on the basis of surveys. Unrecorded consumption includes alcohol imports by passengers, illegal alcohol imports, legal and illegal home preparation, surrogates and alcohol consumed by Finns outside Finland, minus the alcoholic beverages purchased in Finland by foreigners. 

The statistics are used for decision-making, research and alcohol policy planning, as well as in international comparisons and databases (EU, OECD, Eurostat, Nordic countries). The statistics on retail sales of alcoholic beverages also form part of the retail sales statistics and the turnover of trade statistics compiled by Statistics Finland. Alcoholic beverage consumption statistics enable alcohol consumption trends to be monitored in the whole country and also at regional level. 

Data collection for the statistics on Alcoholic beverage consumption is based on the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the National Institute for Health and Welfare (668/2008), the Act on the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (669/2008) and the Alcohol Act (1143/1994). 

Description of methods

Recorded consumption

The statistics on Alcoholic beverage consumption are based on data on the sales and deliveries of alcoholic beverages. These data include the sale of alcoholic beverages from Alko stores and deliveries of alcoholic beverages by wholesalers to licensed restaurants and grocery shops selling alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of no more than 4.7 per cent by volume and to stores for retail selling of fruit wine and sahti. 

Data on the sales and deliveries of alcoholic beverages are derived from the register of the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) and are available in both in litres and in litres of pure alcohol. The product register maintained by Valvira contains information on all alcoholic beverages on sale in Finland. 

It gives the following information on each product:

  • importer
  • producer
  • country of origin
  • product name
  • product number
  • product group
  • alcohol content as specified on product label
  • net content as specified on product label
  • type of package
  • level of original gravity in % by weight (only beers)
  • quality classification codes (only grape wines)

THL calculates alcoholic beverage consumption by beverage type. Recorded consumption is calculated separately for retail sales and licensed serving.

Unrecorded consumption

Data on unrecorded consumption derives mainly from surveys performed by TNS Gallup and, in part, from THL’s Drinking Habits Survey. Alcohol imports by passengers are surveyed weekly through phone interviews conducted by TNS Gallup; a random sample of 500 people over the age of 15 are interviewed each week. Interviews focus on alcohol imports during the two weeks preceding the interview. The data on legal and illegal home preparation and use of alcohol surrogates are estimates on the basis of several data sources. Data on the amounts of alcohol consumed by Finns outside Finland are estimated on the basis of the Drinking Habits Survey conducted by THL at eight-year intervals, and on the basis of trends in passenger numbers. 

Correctness and accuracy of data

The alcoholic beverage consumption data are accurate and correct insofar as they have been reported correctly and accurately by Valvira, Alko Inc., and licensed restaurants. Logical check-ups are carried out on the data at the calculation stage by comparing them to data from previous years. If an error is suspected, the data are checked together with Valvira, Alko Inc., Statistics Finland and licensed restaurants. 

It is possible that after reporting the data Valvira receives minor corrections from wholesalers concerning data on the alcoholic beverages delivered to licensed restaurants and retail outlets. These corrections are, however, not included in the statistics if they arrive after the consumption data are calculated at THL in March. 

The correctness and accuracy of the data on unrecorded alcohol consumption depend on the validity and reliability of the surveys performed by TNS Gallup and of THL's Drinking Habits Survey. Logical check-ups are carried out on the data at the calculation stage by comparing them to previous data. If an error is suspected, the data are checked. In addition, the logic of the data is checked by comparing the amounts of alcohol that Finns report importing from Estonia with Estonian estimates of alcohol purchases made by Finns in Estonia. Data on illegal imports are examined in proportion to the amounts of alcohol seized by customs. 

Timeliness and promptness of published data

Valvira collects data on the sales and deliveries of alcoholic beverages on a monthly basis. Sales and delivery data are published within two to three months following the end of the statistical reference period. Data on alcoholic beverage consumption are collected and calculated on a monthly basis. Data on alcoholic beverage consumption in litres and in litres of pure alcohol are published annually at the latest in April following the statistical reference year. 

TNS Gallup collects data on passenger imports on a weekly basis. THL has published data on passenger imports of alcoholic beverages since spring 2013. The data are published three times a year. Before the year 2013 these data were published by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).

Availability and transparency of data

The annual statistics on Alcoholic beverage consumption are published once a year in the form of statistical report at the latest at the end of April following the statistical reference year. 
Alcoholic Beverage Consumption statistical report (in Finnish)

Alcoholic beverage consumption data are also published in the Yearbook of Alcohol and Drug Statistics. Consumption data are also published in the Statistical Yearbook on Social Welfare and Health Care published by THL, the Statistical Yearbook of Finland, published by Statistics Finland, and the annual report of Alko Inc. The consumption data are sent to various international databases, registers and publications (Eurostat, EU, OECD, WHO, Nordic countries, etc.). 
Yearbook of Alcohol and Drug Statistics

Some information provided in the statistical report can also be found in the Sotkanet Statistics and Indicator Bank. Sotkanet data can be examined at regional level, based on the current administrative division into municipalities. Sotkanet data can be examined in the form of a time series from 1990 onwards. The data in Sotkanet have, therefore, been reported based on the municipal division of the current statistical year. The indicators can be accessed by searching with the keyword 'alcohol consumption', for instance. Statistics on alcoholic beverage consumption are also published in the Findicator service. 

Comparability of statistical data

Data on the recorded consumption of alcoholic beverages are available from 1932 onwards. The 1932–1994 consumption statistics were compiled by Alko Inc.; from 1995 onwards they have been prepared jointly by THL (STAKES through 2008) and Valvira (the Product Control Agency through 2008). Alcoholic beverage consumption statistics from 1932 onwards are available from THL. Since 1932, the Alcohol Consumption statistics have been published as part of the Official Statistics of Finland. 

Data on the unrecorded consumption of alcoholic beverages are available from 1959 onwards. Up until 1992, the data are based on separate studies as well as on the Drinking Habits Surveys conducted at eight-year intervals, beginning in 1968. The intermediate years were estimated by interpolation. In addition, separate studies on unrecorded alcohol consumption were used in the estimations. In 1992–2004 the data on passenger imports were based on annual surveys carried out by TNS Gallup (previously Suomen Gallup). Since 2005 the data on passenger imports have been collected on a weekly basis. 

Clarity and consistency

The statistics on Alcoholic beverage consumption a form part of the established production of statistics. The classification of beverages used in the statistics on Alcoholic beverage consumption is based on the customs tariff and corresponds to the classifications used in international statistics. The classification also corresponds to a version of the internationally approved COICOP classification that has been adopted by the statistical authorities of the EU. The classification has been further specified for national use. The statistics cover all alcoholic beverages intended for consumption and containing more than 2.8 per cent by volume of ethyl alcohol. The calculations are mainly based on national statistics and registers collected by THL, Valvira, and Alko Inc.

Special issues concerning the 2015 statistics

In recent years, descriptions of the total consumption of alcoholic beverages have been affected by year-end stockpiling of alcoholic beverages in anticipation of tax raises the following year. In the Finnish statistics, alcoholic beverages are reported as consumed the year they were sold and delivered by producers, wholesalers and importers to retail outlets and licensed restaurants. In other words, the alcoholic beverages bought in and stocked up in December 2013 are included in the 2013 statistics on recorded consumption, although they are not sold to consumers until 2014. 

Comparing alcohol consumption in 2013 and 2014 is difficult because a lot of alcoholic beverages were bought in and stocked up in 2011 in anticipation of the tax raise in January 2014. This means that although these beverages were sold to consumers in 2014, they are not included in the 2014 consumption data. Instead, they are reported in the consumption data for 2013. The consumption in 2014 of alcoholic beverages stocked the year before explains in part the 2014 drop in total consumption. 

Alcohol taxes have not been raised since January 2014.

Accessibility corrections have been made 15.12.2022.

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