18.04.2023 - Norwegians buy less alcohol in Sweden compared to before the pandemic, according to a new report from CAN.
The report estimates the extent of Norwegian cross-border alcohol trade. During 2020 and 2021, when there were pandemic restrictions, there was a sharp decline in trade.
"There has been an increase in 2022, but not to the same levels as before the pandemic," says Ulf Guttormsson, head of the CAN department and author of the report.
"The fact that cross-border trade has not reached previous levels may be due to increased fuel costs, new habits established during the pandemic, as well as price differences on retail goods having decreased."
The report also notes that alcohol is not the main driver of Norwegian cross-border trade.
"Alcohol is clearly cheaper in Sweden but only constitutes a limited part of the total cross-border trade," says Ulf Guttormsson.
In 2022, Norwegian alcohol cross-border trade amounted to 1.9 million liters of pure alcohol, equivalent to 3.6 percent of Systembolaget's sales. In 2019, the volume was 2.6 million, or 5.3 percent of sales. Measured in pure alcohol, about half of the Norwegian alcohol cross-border trade consists of wine, followed by beer.
The estimate of the extent of Norwegian cross-border alcohol trade includes both purchases with Norwegian payment methods in Systembolaget stores and Norwegian orders at Systembolaget agents in any of the 23 municipalities bordering Norway.
The full REPORT