Norway: EC pills use raise again after years of decline
May 2025. Sales of emergency contraception (EC) pills are rising again in Norway after a few years of gradual decline, according to the latest drug consumption report from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet), published in June 2024.
In 2023, approximately 129.000 packages of EC pills were sold nationwide. This marks a reversal of the downward trend observed since 2017. The report also notes a simultaneous decrease in sales of hormonal contraceptives, though it remains unclear whether the rise in EC sales is linked to reduced use of long-term contraceptive methods. Researchers recommend monitoring this trend. In an earlier report, Folkehelseinstituttet recorded a 4% drop in EC sales between 2017 and 2019.
Despite EC pills being available outside pharmacies since 2009, sales through non-pharmacy outlets remain low. In 2018, 6% of the total EC sales occurred outside traditional pharmacies. The full report is available here and references are available in ECEC’s Norway country profile page.
