Alcohol
81 percent of the inhabitants in Sweden have consumed alcohol during the past 12 months. On average 8.5 litres of pure alcohol is consumed per year and person 15 years or older.
The alcohol consumption is not evenly distributed in the population. Young people (16–29 years) drink less than older people (65–84 years), and men more than women. The total consumption of alcohol has been stable over the past few years.
The prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption among 16–84-year-old inhabitants in Sweden is 15 percent (2021). Hazardous consumption is more common among young people than among older people, and among men than among women. The hazardous consumption of alcohol decreased among 16–29-year-old inhabitants but increased among 65–84-year-old inhabitants between 2004 and 2021.
Among youth the proportion who drink alcohol, the proportion with a hazardous consumption of alcohol and the quantity of consumed alcohol has declined over the past ten years. In 2021 36 percent of 15–16-year-old school pupils and 67 percent of 17–18-year-old students of upper secondary school had consumed alcohol over the past 12 months. Girls have a slightly higher consumption compared to boys in both age groups.