Alcoholic beverage retailers in the Nordic countries - Statistics & Facts
In all the Nordic countries except Denmark, alcoholic beverages are only available in government-owned store chains. This applies to all beverages with higher alcohol content; low alcohol drinks are thus available in regular supermarkets and convenience stores. These strict laws are in place to prevent alcoholism and the negative health effects of heavy drinking on health. In Sweden, Systembolaget is regulating alcohol sales, while in Finland, the corresponding monopoly is called Alko. In Norway, Vinmonopolet took matters into it's own hands. It is, along with the Icelandic Vínbúðin, the oldest government regulated alcoholic beverage retailing chain in Northern Europe, founded in 1922. And even though Denmark isn’t directly included, the Faroe Islands, which are an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, do have their own alcoholic beverage retail monopoly called Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins.
