Spirits consumption per person in Iceland
Iceland: Spirits consumption per person was 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
70th
of 187 countries
All-time high
3.82 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year
in 1974
All-time low
1.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year
in 2012
Years of data
62
1961–2022
Spirits consumption per person in Iceland, 1961–2022
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
Analysis
In 2022, spirits consumption per person in Iceland stood at 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
That represents a change of up 7.9% on the previous year and up 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, spirits consumption per person in Iceland peaked at 3.82 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 1974 and was at its lowest, 1.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, in 2012.
Iceland ranks 70th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
Spirits consumption per person in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.25 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | — |
| 1962 | 2.53 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +12.4% |
| 1963 | 2.65 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +4.7% |
| 1964 | 2.68 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 2.8 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 3.17 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +13.2% |
| 1967 | 3.21 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 2.79 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -13.1% |
| 1969 | 2.86 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 3.3 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +15.4% |
| 1971 | 3.54 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +7.3% |
| 1972 | 3.63 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 3.67 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 3.82 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +4.1% |
| 1975 | 3.43 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -10.2% |
| 1976 | 3.28 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 3.46 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +5.5% |
| 1978 | 3.14 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -9.2% |
| 1979 | 3.26 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +3.8% |
| 1980 | 3.08 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -5.5% |
| 1981 | 3.05 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 2.88 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 2.86 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 3.01 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 3.09 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 3.37 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +9.1% |
| 1987 | 3.55 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 3.5 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 2.85 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -18.6% |
| 1990 | 2.75 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 2.76 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 2.49 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -9.8% |
| 1993 | 2.2 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -11.6% |
| 1994 | 2.02 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -8.2% |
| 1995 | 1.93 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -4.5% |
| 1996 | 1.79 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -7.3% |
| 1997 | 1.72 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 1.74 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.76 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 1.77 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 1.72 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 1.65 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 1.47 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 1.39 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -5.4% |
| 2005 | 1.42 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 1.45 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 1.54 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 1.53 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 1.47 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 1.21 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -17.7% |
| 2011 | 1.26 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 1.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -12.7% |
| 2013 | 1.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.12 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 1.25 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +11.6% |
| 2016 | 1.16 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 1.19 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 1.22 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 1.25 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 1.17 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 1.4 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +19.7% |
| 2022 | 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | +7.9% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.79 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, 85% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.8 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year, 84% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.77 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 2.25 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.21 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.45 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.14 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.82 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.12 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 2.85 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3.55 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.12 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.72 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 2.76 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.54 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.39 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.77 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.19 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.26 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.36 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.17 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year | 3 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 67 Croatia 1.61 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 68 New Zealand 1.59 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 69 Greece 1.57 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 70 Switzerland 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 72 El Salvador 1.5 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
- 73 Netherlands 1.5 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year compare
More economy & growth data for Iceland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -851.71 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0221 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -2,170 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -201.70 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -107.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0052 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -514.02 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 20.76 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is spirits consumption per person in Iceland?
- Spirits consumption per person in Iceland was 1.51 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2022, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest spirits consumption per person recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.82 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 1974.
- What is the lowest spirits consumption per person recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 Litres of pure alcohol per person per year in 2012.
- How does Iceland rank for spirits consumption per person?
- Iceland ranks 70th out of 187 countries with data for 2022.
- Is spirits consumption per person rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Spirits consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Spirit consumption per person, measured in liters of pure alcohol per year. Spirits are distilled alcoholic drinks and include gin, rum, whisky, tequila and vodka.