Almost one in three Danes are considering an alcohol-free January

07.01.2026 - Almost one in three Danes say they are considering a “hvid januar” (alcohol-free January) in the first month of 2026, according to a survey carried out shortly before Christmas.

The Norstat survey, conducted by Infomedia for Dagrofa, asked just over 1,000 Danes selected to be representative of the population whether they were thinking about skipping alcoholic drinks in January. Across the country, 29 percent said they were considering an alcohol-free January.

The survey also shows clear regional differences. The highest share was in the Capital Region, where 34 percent said they were considering it. The lowest share was in North Jutland, where 19 percent said the same. Southern Denmark had the second-highest share at 31 percent.

In North Jutland, 64 percent said they would not consider an alcohol-free January, compared with 52 percent in the Capital Region.

Dagrofa also points to growing demand for alcohol-free options in its retail chains MENY, SPAR, Min Købmand and Let-Køb.

“We are seeing a rising trend where Danes choose alcohol-free solutions. We sense that this is partly due to producers being much more aware of delivering tasty, high-quality products without alcohol. This is especially true for beer, but also for drinks and wine,” says Jesper Bjerring, Category Director at Dagrofa.

The survey suggests there are also differences by age and family situation. Interest appears to be highest among younger people and among those with children living at home, and it declines with age. Among 18 to 29-year-olds, 39 percent said they were considering a January without alcohol. The figure was 36 percent among those aged 30 to 39, and 19 percent among people over 60.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Dagrofa measured sales of alcohol-free alternatives and found they were 20 percent higher than in the same period last year.

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Source: Via Ritzau