Sweden opened the door to farm sales of alcohol – here’s who walked in

On June 1, 2025, Sweden introduced a new policy allowing alcohol producers to sell their products directly to visitors on site. However, farm sales require a special permit issued by the municipality, and only small-scale producers are eligible.

The system also comes with strict conditions. Alcohol can only be sold to visitors aged 20 or older, and purchases must be linked to a “knowledge-enhancing activity”, such as a guided tour arranged by the producer. There are also limits on how much each visitor can buy per visit, for example, up to 0.7 litres of spirits or three litres of wine or beer. The policy is temporary and will run for six years, and will be evaluated during this period (Government Bill 2024/25:86).

By the end of 2025, around 150 permits had been issued for farm sales. Most were granted in southern Sweden (Götaland, 93 permits), followed by central Sweden (Svealand, 42) and northern Sweden (Norrland, 15).

How we studied it

The analysis is based on data from CAN’s Monitor Survey, a large ongoing study of alcohol habits in Sweden with around 18,000 respondents per year. Since July 2025, the survey has included questions about farm sales, asking whether respondents had purchased alcohol directly from producers in the past 30 days and how often. Only individuals aged 20 and older are included. Farm buyers are then compared with both Systembolaget customers and alcohol consumers in the general population.

A small share of buyers

On average during the second half of 2025, 2.3 percent of people aged 20–84 reported purchasing alcohol directly from producers in a typical month. Most did so only once (63 percent), while 21 percent had made two purchases and 16 percent three or more.

Monthly levels were relatively stable, ranging from 1.8 percent in October to 3.4 percent in December.

Farm sales were much less common than purchases at Systembolaget, where nearly half of the population had bought alcohol during the same period. At the same time, most farm buyers were not exclusive to this new channel as around three quarters had also purchased alcohol through Systembolaget.

Who is buying on site?

When looking at who these buyers are, differences compared to Systembolaget’s customers and consumers in general are relatively small. Men and women are almost equally represented, and education level shows little variation. Regional differences are also minor, although purchases are slightly more common in central and southern Sweden.

The clearest difference appears in age. Younger adults are more likely to buy directly from producers, while older age groups are less likely to do so. This pattern is consistent across comparisons with both Systembolaget customers and alcohol consumers in general.

Heavier drinking among farm buyers

Those who purchased alcohol directly from producers also reported higher overall alcohol consumption than both Systembolaget customers and alcohol consumers in general. This suggests that farm sales are more commonly used by individuals with higher levels of alcohol use.

What the first data tells us

Farm sales of alcohol were introduced in Sweden on June 1, 2025. During the second half of the year, just over 2 percent of the population aged 20–84 reported buying alcohol directly from producers in a typical month. In comparison, nearly half of the population purchased alcohol through Systembolaget during the same period.

Overall, farm buyers resemble other alcohol consumers in terms of gender, education, and geographic distribution. The main difference lies in age, with higher participation among younger adults and lower participation among older age groups. Farm buyers also report higher alcohol consumption compared to Systembolaget’s customers and alcohol consumers in general, indicating that the new sales channel is more frequently used by heavier drinkers.

The article is written by Björn Trolldal, researcher at CAN, The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs

on the request of PopNAD