Per capita consumption of alcohol in Norway 2011-2022

The Nordic countries, except Denmark, have strong restrictions on the sales of alcoholic beverages. In Norway, the government-owned alcohol retailer Vinmonopolet is the only company that can sell beverages containing an alcohol content higher than 4.75 percent. In recent years, the consumption of alcohol in Norway increased, and in 2022, the per capita consumption of alcohol  amounted to a volume of about 89 liters.   

Per capita consumption of beer

Individuals aged 18 years and older are allowed to purchase beer in Norway. Though the consumption of alcohol decreased in the past years, the volume of beer consumed in the country remained stable from 2008 to 2020. By the end of this period, the amount of beer consumed per person was 56 liters. Retail beer (alcohol content of 3.7 to 4.7 percent) was most popular among Norwegians as the consumption volume reached a total of roughly 233 million liters in 2018.    

 Per capita consumption of spirits 

In selected years from 1950 to 2018, the average volume of spirits consumed per capita in Norway overall decreased. It was lowest from 2015 to 2018, when the consumption volume was 2.5 liters per person. The legal drinking and purchasing age for beverages with an alcohol content higher than 22 percent is 20 years and older.