Nordic alcohol survey: Sales of strong spirits highest in Finland

Consumption of hard liquor grows by at least 25 percent

print this

The latest figures on alcohol sales and consumption in the Nordic Countries put Finland far ahead of the rest of Scandinavia in the sale of strong spirits. According to the study, average per capita purchases of strong spirits by Finns aged 15 and above last year corresponded to 2.38 litres of pure alcohol.
      According to the study, published in July by STAKES, the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Finland was followed by Denmark, where the average was 1.60 litres per capita. In Iceland the corresponding figure was 1.39, in Sweden 1.30, and in Norway, 1.22 litres.
     
Finland is more than likely to keep to the top position in hard liquor sales this year, as the tax cut which was implemented this year has boosted sales considerably in the spring and summer.
      STAKES researcher Esa Österberg believes that growth in the consumption of strong alcohol in Finland will reach between 25 and 30%. In his calculations Österberg includes personal imports, which have increased considerably after the special quotas that Finland had for imports from other EU countries expired at the beginning of year.
      Personal imports from Estonia surged when that country became a member of the EU at the beginning of May. The alcohol tax cut was enacted largely to blunt the impact of the relaxed import restrictions, and Estonia’s EU membership.
      Tax revenues from the sale of alcohol declined by about EUR 55 million between March and May alone.
     
Sales of strong spirits at shops of Alko, the state-owned retail monopoly for spirits, wines, and strong beers, grew by nearly 50% in March over the same time last year. In April the increase was 37%, in May it was 20%, and in June it was 25%, compared with the corresponding months in 2003.
      In spite of lower prices in Finland, Finns are still flocking to Estonia to buy cheaper alcoholic beverages in that country.Irmeli Virtaranta of the Ministry of Finance estimates that personal imports of alcohol have doubled since Estonia joined the EU, and the EU import quotas were lifted.
     
While Finns hold the Nordic record in per capita consumption of strong spirits, wine consumption is about 50% lower in Finland than in Denmark.
      Finland comes in second in beer consumption, right after Denmark.
      Esa Österberg attributes the popularity of strong spirits to the tendency in Finnish drinking culture to maximisse intoxication.
      He also observes that regulations governing alcohol are more stringent in Sweden than they are in Finland. In Sweden the beer sold in grocery stores has a lower alcohol content than in Finland, young people aged 18 - 20 are restricted to buying beer, and the temperance movement in that country still has political clout.
      Kerstin Stenius of STAKES sees the slow urbanisation process in Finland as one factor: drinking patterns typical of rural areas are still going strong in Finland.
      Teuvo Peltoniemi, information officer of the A-Clinic Foundation, notes that Finnish drinking habits are influenced by both East European and Scandinavian traditions, in which heavy intoxication is not something that men feel ashamed of.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Record liquor sales in Tallinn stores over weekend as Finns hoard cheap alcohol (3.5.3004)
  Programme aimed at reducing harm of increased alcohol consumption (28.4.2004)
  Cheaper alcohol sparks surge in retail sales nationwide (12.3.2004)
  Tax cut means booze is cheaper than ever in Finland (2.3.2004)
  Convoys of trucks bring cheaper alcoholic beverages to thirsty Finns (1.3.2004)
  Sweden not to follow Finlands lead on alcohol policy (8.1.2004)
  EU alcohol import quotas lifted - no big rush yet (2.1.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat