High taxes on tobacco and alcohol are a deliberate public health strategy in Norway. Hard alcohol is only sold at Vinmonopolet, the Wine Monopoly, which is wholly state owned. This is to remove private profit motives from the sales of alcohol.

The price of alcohol and tobacco in Norway is 120 per cent above the European average

No other country in Europe has more expensive alcohol and tobacco than Norway.

Iceland comes in second in Europe, 30 per cent behind the price level in Norway.

This is according to new figures from the European survey Comparative price levels of consumer goods and services 2020, according to Statistics Norway.

Norway has had the highest prices on alcohol and tobacco for years. The difference between Europe and Norway was however lower last year, compared to the previous year. In 2019, the prices of alcohol and tobacco were 136 per cent above the average.

The survey also shows that Norway is the most expensive country when it comes to food and non-alcoholic beverages in the Nordic region.

While the prices in Iceland and Denmark are 29 per cent above the average, the prices in Sweden are 21 per cent above average, Finland is 19 per cent above average – and Norway is 51 per cent above the average. Only Switzerland has more expensive food and non-alcoholic beverages than Norway, in Europe.

In total, the price level in Norway is 39 per cent above the average in Europe. This makes Norway the third most expensive country on the continent. Switzerland takes first place with a price level which is 70 per cent above the average, while Denmark comes in second at 40 per cent above the average.

Turkey has the lowest price level, 62 per cent below the European average.

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