Norway vs Sweden: Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol
Norway
11.7%
in 2020
Sweden
12.2%
in 2020
Norway rank
166th
Sweden rank
163rd
Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 12.2% against 11.7% in Norway, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 21 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Norway ahead.
Norway ranks 166th and Sweden ranks 163rd of 187 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.3% | 14.5% | 0.2% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 12.3% | 12.9% | 0.7% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 11.7% | 12.2% | 0.6% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population who haver never drunk alcohol, Norway or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 12.2% against 11.7% in Norway as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population who haver never drunk alcohol between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.5%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for share of population who haver never drunk alcohol?
- Norway ranks 166th and Sweden ranks 163rd of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Lifetime abstinence is defined as the proportion of adults (15+ years) in a given population who have not consumed any alcohol during their lifetime.