How much alcohol is actually in your blood after three beers, and how long does it stay there? The calculator below gives you a quick estimate. Further down we cover what the law says about drink-driving in Sweden, how fast the body burns off alcohol, and why alcohol left over the next morning catches more people out than they expect.
BAC calculator
Fill in your details for an approximate estimate of your blood alcohol level right now, and of how long the alcohol is expected to stay in your body.
- Estimated to reach 0.0 ‰ in about –
Would rather not do the arithmetic? Mypromille tracks your level in real time while you drink, so you can see where you stand as the evening goes on.
⚠️ This is a rough estimate based on the Widmark formula and an average elimination rate of 0.15 ‰ per hour. Your real level is affected by food, sleep, medication and individual factors. A breath test is the only way to know for sure. This calculator cannot tell you whether you are fit to drive, and never will. If you have been drinking, do not drive.
Drink-driving limits in Sweden
Sweden has one of the strictest alcohol limits for drivers anywhere:
- Drink-driving (rattfylleri) — from 0.2 per mille in the blood. The penalty is a fine or up to six months in prison, and the licence is normally revoked (a disqualification period running from one month to several years).
- Aggravated drink-driving (grovt rattfylleri) — at 1.0 per mille or above, or where the driving posed an obvious danger. It carries up to two years in prison and a disqualification period of at least one year.
The 0.2 ‰ threshold is deliberately low. Reaction time and judgement already start to suffer at that level, and catching exactly that is what the law is for.
How fast does the body burn off alcohol?
The body breaks alcohol down at a fairly steady rate — on average around 0.10–0.15 per mille per hour. Coffee, a shower, food and fresh air do not speed it up. Time is the only thing that lowers your level.
One standard drink is roughly 12 grams of pure alcohol: about the same as a 33 cl strong beer, a glass of wine (12–15 cl) or 4 cl of spirits. An average person burns off one standard drink in something like 1.5–2 hours — though individual variation is wide. (There is more on how standard drinks are worked out in Understanding Standard Drinks.)
Morning-after alcohol: what is still in your blood?
This is the trap that catches the most people. After a late night and a few drinks you can feel perfectly fresh in the morning and still have enough alcohol in your blood to be charged with drink-driving.
Nothing on this page can tell you whether you are fit to drive. The calculator estimates a number; it does not clear you to get in a car, and neither do we. What follows is what the arithmetic says about how long alcohol lingers.
A worked example: six standard drinks put an average-sized man (around 75 kg) at a peak of roughly 1.4 ‰. Burning off 0.15 ‰ an hour, it takes a little over nine hours to reach zero — so after eight hours’ sleep you are still uncomfortably close to the 0.2 ‰ limit. Someone who weighs less can be clearly over it well into the morning.
The rule of thumb is simple: if you are in any doubt at all, leave the car. Even with a level under 0.2 ‰ you can be tired and dull in a way that affects your driving.
How the calculator works
The estimate is based on the Widmark formula, the same starting point professionals and authorities use:
per mille ≈ grams of alcohol ÷ (body weight in kg × r)
where r is a distribution factor, roughly 0.7 for men and 0.6 for women. From that peak, 0.15 ‰ is then subtracted for every hour that has passed. It gives you a decent indication — but an indication is all it is. The only way to know your level for certain is a breath test: Mypromille can pair with a Bluetooth breathalyzer and show you a real measurement alongside the estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the drink-driving limit in Sweden? The limit is 0.2 per mille. At 1.0 per mille or above it counts as aggravated drink-driving.
How fast does the body burn off alcohol? On average about 0.10–0.15 per mille per hour. The rate cannot be speeded up.
How long does alcohol stay in your body overnight? There is often alcohol left in your blood in the morning. Reckon on roughly 0.15 ‰ burnt off per hour, so a high peak can take most of the night to clear. Only a breath test shows what is actually in your blood.
What is the penalty for drink-driving? A fine or up to six months in prison, and normally the loss of your licence. Aggravated drink-driving can mean up to two years in prison.
Track it in real time with Mypromille
The calculator above gives you a single snapshot. If you would rather not do the arithmetic, Mypromille keeps track of your level continuously while you drink, so you can see where you stand as the evening goes on.
The app is available for iPhone, Android and straight in the browser.
Sources: Systembolaget on blood alcohol and drink-driving, Systembolaget on alcohol elimination and Wikipedia — Rattfylleri. This is general information, not legal advice.