1922 Swedish prohibition referendum
A non-binding referendum on prohibition of liquor was held in Sweden on 27 August 1922.[1] The proposal to prohibit the sale of alcohol failed, with 51% voting against the change on a turnout of 55.1%.[1] Voting patterns were sharply divided between men and women, with 59% of women voting for the proposal and 59% of men voting against.
Campaign
[edit]There was plenty of campaigning from both sides, the best remembered[citation needed] poster being one designed by artist Albert Engström, with the famous quote Kräftor kräva dessa drycker ("crayfish require these drinks").
Both proponents and opponents of the prohibition used similar arguments based around the breakdown of family life and Swedish society.[2]
Left: "Payday evening — vote yes!"; A poster of a drunk husband in front of his weeping wife and children, encouraging voters to vote for prohibition
Right: "Crayfish require these drinks — You must abstain from crayfish if you do not vote no on August 27"; A famous poster by Albert Engström, encouraging voters to vote against prohibition
Right: "Crayfish require these drinks — You must abstain from crayfish if you do not vote no on August 27"; A famous poster by Albert Engström, encouraging voters to vote against prohibition
Result
[edit]Choice | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
For | 889,132 | 49.0 |
Against | 925,097 | 51.0 |
Invalid/blank votes | 6,223 | – |
Total | 1,820,452 | 100 |
Registered voters/turnout | 3,302,483 | 55.1 |
Source: Nationalencyklopedin[3] |
By county
[edit]County | Total population | Male | Female | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
For | Against | For | Against | For | Against | |||||||
Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | |
Stockholm Municipality | 21,928 | 13.5 | 141,034 | 86.5 | 7,680 | 10.0 | 69,503 | 90.0 | 14,248 | 16.6 | 71,531 | 83.4 |
Stockholm County | 24,626 | 33.1 | 49,854 | 66.9 | 10,732 | 26.2 | 30,272 | 73.8 | 13,894 | 41.5 | 19,582 | 58.5 |
Uppsala County | 21,834 | 49.0 | 22,749 | 51.0 | 9,719 | 40.7 | 14,179 | 59.3 | 12,115 | 58.6 | 8,570 | 41.4 |
Södermanland County | 28,255 | 48.1 | 30,488 | 51.9 | 12,386 | 37.5 | 20,646 | 62.5 | 15,869 | 61.7 | 9,842 | 38.3 |
Östergötland County | 50,686 | 56.3 | 39,422 | 43.7 | 22,418 | 45.7 | 26,598 | 54.3 | 28,268 | 68.8 | 12,824 | 31.2 |
Jönköping County | 68,757 | 81.5 | 15,591 | 18.5 | 31,749 | 73.4 | 11,505 | 26.6 | 37,008 | 90.1 | 4,086 | 9.9 |
Kronoberg County | 20,671 | 47.1 | 23,249 | 52.9 | 9,985 | 39.2 | 15,497 | 60.8 | 10,686 | 58.0 | 7,752 | 42.0 |
Kalmar County | 24,590 | 41.9 | 34,059 | 58.1 | 11,389 | 33.5 | 22,624 | 66.5 | 13,201 | 53.6 | 11,435 | 46.4 |
Gotland County | 6,875 | 37.3 | 11,550 | 62.7 | 3,010 | 28.4 | 7,573 | 71.6 | 3,865 | 49.3 | 3,977 | 50.7 |
Blekinge County | 13,358 | 40.3 | 19,781 | 59.7 | 6,086 | 31.6 | 13,162 | 68.4 | 7,272 | 52.4 | 6,619 | 47.6 |
Kristianstad County | 27,205 | 44.7 | 33,605 | 55.3 | 12,393 | 35.3 | 22,718 | 64.7 | 14,812 | 57.6 | 10,887 | 42.4 |
Malmöhus County | 29,470 | 19.4 | 122,295 | 80.6 | 11,618 | 13.9 | 72,046 | 86.1 | 17,852 | 26.2 | 50,249 | 73.8 |
Halland County | 10,872 | 25.1 | 32,501 | 74.9 | 4,692 | 19.4 | 19,503 | 80.6 | 6,180 | 32.2 | 12,998 | 67.8 |
Gothenburg and Bohus County | 34,931 | 27.1 | 93,777 | 72.9 | 14,600 | 21.4 | 53,580 | 78.6 | 20,331 | 33.6 | 40,197 | 66.4 |
Älvsborg County | 46,439 | 48.7 | 48,998 | 51.3 | 19,961 | 38.4 | 32,004 | 61.6 | 26,478 | 60.9 | 16,994 | 39.1 |
Skaraborg County | 41,362 | 55.1 | 33,719 | 44.9 | 18,782 | 44.5 | 23,458 | 55.5 | 22,580 | 68.8 | 10,261 | 31.2 |
Värmland County | 57,430 | 66.4 | 29,120 | 33.6 | 26,056 | 55.1 | 21,223 | 44.9 | 31,374 | 79.9 | 7,897 | 20.1 |
Örebro County | 44,538 | 63.5 | 25,571 | 36.5 | 19,852 | 52.3 | 18,111 | 47.7 | 24,686 | 76.8 | 7,460 | 23.2 |
Västmanland County | 30,831 | 58.8 | 21,631 | 41.2 | 13,782 | 47.8 | 15,077 | 52.2 | 17,049 | 72.2 | 6,554 | 27.8 |
Kopparberg County | 60,587 | 70.3 | 25,538 | 29.7 | 27,424 | 59.6 | 18,568 | 40.4 | 33,163 | 82.6 | 6,970 | 17.4 |
Gävleborg County | 58,434 | 70.5 | 24,438 | 29.5 | 26,233 | 59.2 | 18,088 | 40.8 | 32,201 | 83.5 | 6,350 | 16.5 |
Västernorrland County | 58,597 | 78.4 | 16,159 | 21.6 | 28,654 | 70.8 | 11,803 | 29.2 | 29,943 | 87.3 | 4,356 | 12.7 |
Jämtland County | 29,485 | 72.6 | 11,135 | 27.4 | 14,481 | 63.9 | 8,194 | 36.1 | 15,004 | 83.6 | 2,941 | 16.4 |
Västerbotten County | 43,302 | 81.4 | 9,883 | 18.6 | 21,717 | 74.5 | 7,430 | 25.5 | 21,585 | 89.8 | 2,453 | 10.2 |
Norrbotten County | 34,053 | 79.4 | 8,827 | 20.6 | 16,570 | 71.6 | 6,585 | 28.4 | 17,483 | 88.6 | 2,242 | 11.4 |
Total | 889,116 | 49.0 | 924,974 | 51.0 | 401,969 | 40.9 | 579,947 | 59.1 | 487,147 | 58.5 | 345,027 | 41.5 |
Source: Förbudsomröstningens slutresultat[4] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Folkomröstningar 1922-2003" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 21 December 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ O’Hagan, Lauren Alex (2022). ""Alcohol is humanity's enemy!" Propaganda posters and the 1922 Swedish prohibition referendum". Scandinavian Journal of History: 1–27. doi:10.1080/03468755.2022.2123037. ISSN 0346-8755. S2CID 252301631.
- ^ "Folkomröstning: Tabell: Folkomröstningar i Sverige". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 May 2011. (subscription required)
- ^ "Folkirorelse" (PDF). Nya Folkets röst.