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
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.
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
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP -2.3% (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 4.1% (2025)
- GDP per capita 58,910 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 8.5% (2025)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 23.12 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 58,910 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 128.44 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -52.84 billion current LCU (2024)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -383.05 million current US$ (2024)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 498.69 billion current LCU (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.