September 12, 2024, 2:30 am | Read time: 2 minutes
While you pay around 70 cents for a 0.5-liter can of beer in Germany, the same amount costs almost four times as much in Norway. But why is alcohol often so expensive in Scandinavian countries?
It is well known that Norway is not exactly cheap when it comes to the cost of living. The cost of food is sometimes many times higher than in Germany. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to alcoholic beverages. While you can buy a 0.5-liter can of beer in the supermarket for around 70 cents in Germany, you pay around 3 euros in Norway. A visit to a pub or bar is correspondingly expensive for many holidaymakers who want to purchase alcohol in Norway or other parts of Scandinavia.
High alcohol tax on drinks in Scandinavia
However, it is not only in Norway that alcohol costs a lot; prices are also relatively high in Sweden. But why is this the case in the Scandinavian countries? The reason for the above-average prices in Norway is the taxes that the country levies on alcohol. “They depend on the alcohol content of the drinks,” explains Uwe Schween from Innovation Norway. This is why spirits are generally taxed more heavily than beer. Prices in Sweden are not quite as high as in Norway.
Scandinavia has a strict alcohol policy. This has to do with its past. In response to the high consumption of alcohol at the beginning of the 20th century, the governments introduced corresponding laws. These were intended to control the sale of alcohol and thus keep alcohol consumption low. As a result, stricter rules apply to the sale of alcoholic beverages than in Germany.
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Drinking alcohol in public is prohibited in many places
Supermarkets are only allowed to sell beer with a low alcohol content. In Norway and Sweden, spirits are only available in special stores owned by the state. There are other strict rules in Sweden: “In many regions, it is forbidden to drink alcohol in public,” says Sabine Klautzsch from the tourism organization Visit Sweden. There are special zones where consumption is permitted. In addition, the 0.0 blood alcohol limit applies when driving.
Due to the high prices, it makes sense to bring alcoholic drinks to Scandinavia yourself. However, there are maximum quantities for duty-free imports: In Norway, for example, two liters of beer and one liter of spirits with a maximum alcohol content of 60 percent and one and a half liters of a wine-based drink are permitted.
The original of this article was published in 2016.