Sweden vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol
Sweden
12.2%
in 2020
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
12.5%
in 2020
Sweden rank
163rd
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
161st
Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol over time
- Sweden
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 12.5% against 12.2% in Sweden, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 21 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Sweden ahead.
Sweden ranks 163rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 161st of 187 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Sweden averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.5% | 13.0% | 1.4% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 0.0% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 12.5% | 0.3% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population who haver never drunk alcohol, Sweden or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 12.5% against 12.2% in Sweden as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population who haver never drunk alcohol between Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.3%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of population who haver never drunk alcohol?
- Sweden ranks 163rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 161st 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.