Sales of non-alcoholic beverages have risen at a record pace in Finland, the state alcohol monopoly Alko said on Friday.
Alko sold over 850,000 litres of non-alcoholic beverages last year, an increase of 40 percent from the year before.
About a decade ago, the firm sold approximately 186,000 litres of non-alcoholic beverages annually — meaning there has been a five-fold increase in sales over the past 10 years.
Worldwide, the non-alcoholic beverage market grew by approximately nine percent last year, Alko noted in a press release.
"We are constantly striving to introduce new, interesting non-alcoholic alternatives alongside traditional alcoholic beverages, as is well suited to Alko's core mission of preventing alcohol-related harm," Product Group Manager Mika Kauppinen said in the statement.
Alko was set up by the Finnish state in 1932. It was given the exclusive right to import, export, manufacture and sell alcoholic beverages after Finland's period of prohibition was repealed.
Most opt for 0% when driving
In a survey commissioned by Alko, a fifth of respondents said they consciously take a break from alcohol consumption at one or more points during the year.
Nearly half of respondents said that alcohol impairs the quality of their sleep, while almost one-third said they want to reduce their consumption in general.
Customers said they particularly choose non-alcoholic drinks when attending a party but planning to drive (64%), taking a sauna (40%) or relaxing at home (31%).
About 700 people responded to the survey last month.
A new tax on alcohol that took effect on New Year's Day raised the price of a bottle of beer by a few cents and a bottle of wine by around 50 cents.
