Risky drinking among young men has halved in 20 years
- Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
10.04.2025 - Over the past 20 years, the proportion of young people (aged 16–29) who engage in risky alcohol consumption has nearly halved, with young men accounting for the largest decline. Today, a greater proportion of young women are considered risky drinkers. While risky drinking is decreasing among younger age groups, it is on the rise among those over 45. This is shown in a compilation by IQ based on statistics from the Public Health Agency of Sweden.
“We’ve known for some time that today’s young people drink less alcohol than previous generations. But this also shows that far fewer young people are drinking in risky ways than before. Today’s young people are simply drinking more wisely,” says Mojtaba Ghodsi, CEO of IQ.
According to statistics from the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), young people have reduced their alcohol consumption by nearly 20 percent over the past 20 years. This decline is largely driven by young men, while the consumption level among young women has remained relatively unchanged. However, the proportion engaged in risky drinking has decreased among both young men and women.
“That risky drinking is decreasing as young people drink less is perhaps not surprising. But risky drinking has declined significantly more than overall consumption. Young people appear to have adopted an alcohol culture that is markedly different from the one middle-aged people followed in their youth,” says Mojtaba Ghodsi.
While younger people are reducing their alcohol use, the opposite trend is observed among older adults. For risky drinking, the shift is even more dramatic than in total consumption. The proportion of women over 65 engaging in risky drinking has nearly tripled in 20 years, while the proportion of young men has halved.
Overall, young people still consume the most alcohol, but the gap between younger and older age groups has narrowed significantly—more so in risky drinking than in overall consumption.
“We’re seeing increased awareness among young people regarding alcohol, along with changing social norms and a health trend that may be influencing behavior. At the same time, today’s older adults have a more liberal attitude towards alcohol, and we're seeing an older generation carrying their drinking habits into later life. If today’s young people bring their current norms with them into older age, there’s reason to be optimistic about the future,” says Mojtaba Ghodsi.
CAN recently presented preliminary figures on overall alcohol consumption in Sweden, showing a further 2.3 percent decrease last year at the population level. Age-specific data has not yet been published.
Risky alcohol consumption by age, gender, and year (percent):
Age group | Total (2004) | Total (2024) | Women (2004) | Women (2024) | Men (2004) | Men (2024) |
16–29 | 36.7% | 21.9% | 30.5% | 24.0% | 42.8% | 20.0% |
30–44 | 18.5% | 14.3% | 12.6% | 10.9% | 24.2% | 17.4% |
45–64 | 15.0% | 16.7% | 11.3% | 12.9% | 18.6% | 20.3% |
65–84 | 5.2% | 10.0% | 3.0% | 8.3% | 7.8% | 11.8% |
Source: National Public Health Survey, Public Health Agency of Sweden
Self-reported annual consumption in litres of pure (100%) alcohol:
Source: CAN’s Monitor surveys
Age group | Total (2004) | Total (2024) | Women (2004) | Women (2024) | Men (2004) | Men (2024) |
17–29 | 6.1 L | 5.0 L | 3.8 L | 3.7 L | 8.3 L | 6.1 L |
30–49 | 4.9 L | 4.3 L | 2.8 L | 2.9 L | 6.9 L | 5.5 L |
50–64 | 4.4 L | 4.8 L | 2.9 L | 3.2 L | 6.1 L | 6.2 L |
65–84 | 2.8 L | 4.2 L | 1.6 L | 2.7 L | 4.1 L | 5.7 L |