Alcohol consumption

Alcohol consumption has decreased from its record levels among both women and men

Total consumption of alcoholic drinks in Finland increased by 350% between the start of the 1960s and 2007. At its high point, alcohol consumption was at 12.7 litres for every person aged 15 or over. Since then, alcohol consumption has decreased by nearly one fifth. 

The drinking habits survey indicates that between 2008 and 2016, which was the time when overall consumption was decreasing, the following health-enhancing changes have taken place in Finns aged between 15 and 69: 

• the percentage of men who consume alcohol every week has decreased from 60% to 53%
• the percentage of women who consume alcohol every week has decreased from 35% to 28%
• the quantity of alcohol consumed in one sitting has decreased for men
• the percentage of completely teetotal men has increased from 10% to 12%
• the percentage of completely teetotal women has increased from 10% to 15%.

In addition

• alcohol consumption by minors has significantly decreased since the start of the millennium
• the long-term growth trend in alcohol consumption by retired people appears to have been reversed