Alcohol in Europe: Three countries compared

Sweden is launching a Europe-wide advertising campaign to defend its tough restrictions on the sale of alcohol.

It argues that its state-controlled alcohol retail monopoly has significant public health benefits. But the EU says the system is at odds with free-trade rules.

Drinking restrictions and patterns vary greatly across Europe.

Here, we compared key regulatory and health indicators in Sweden with two other countries, each with very different drinking habits: France, praised for its slow-drinking culture, and the Czech Republic in eastern Europe, where detrimental patterns of drinking predominate, according to the World Health Organization.

SWEDEN

Restrictions on alcohol sales: State monopoly
Alcohol purchase age limit: 18 on-premise / 20 off-premise
Price of 0.5 litres of beer: 1.29 euros (88p; $1.51)
Price of 0.7 litres of spirits: 21.54 euros
Tax on beer (as percentage of retail price): 26%
Tax on spirits (as percentage of retail price): 67%
Average annual consumption (in litres of pure alcohol): 5.62
Incidence of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis per 100,000 people: 5.26
Estimated annual social cost of alcohol: 5.5% of GDP; 1,194 euros

FRANCE

Restrictions on alcohol sales: Sales licence required
Alcohol purchase age limit: 16 (except on-premise spirits sales: 18)
Price of 0.5 litres of beer: 0.66 euros (45p; $0.77)
Price of 0.7 litres of spirits: 11 euros
Tax on beer (as percentage of retail price): 9%
Tax on spirits (as percentage of retail price): 33%
Average annual consumption (in litres of pure alcohol): 9.5
Incidence of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis per 100,000 people: 13.33
Estimated annual social cost of alcohol: 1.2-1.4% of GDP; 256-300 euros

CZECH REPUBLIC

Restrictions on alcohol sales: Licence required only for production of alcohol, not sales
Alcohol purchase age limit: 18
Price of 0.5 litres of beer: 0.23 euros (16p; $0.27))
Price of 0.7 litres of spirits: 3.19 euros
Tax on beer (as percentage of retail price): 7%
Tax on spirits (as percentage of retail price): 26.1%
Average annual consumption (in litres of pure alcohol): 13.67
Incidence of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis per 100,000 people: 16.66
Estimated annual social cost of alcohol: N/A

Sources: WHO Europe, Eurocare (European Alcohol Policy Alliance) and the Institute of Alcohol Studies