From 1965 to 2019, the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the U.S. has decreased from about 42 percent to 14 percent. Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for many types of cancers including lung cancer, bladder cancer and pancreatic cancer. Globally tobacco use is one of the greatest risk factors for preventable diseases. There are several resources in the United States to help individuals quit smoking including website, hotlines, medications and text message programs.

Smoking prevalence globally

Globally, smoking prevalence has also decreased is projected to continue to decline through 2025. North America makes up a small percentage of the world’s cigarette smokers. The highest prevalence of tobacco smoking can be found in Europe, followed by the Western Pacific. In the past few decades there have been stronger efforts made to reduce cigarette consumption in many parts of the world. Cigarettes are taxed separately in many countries and are often required to add health warnings to cigarette packaging for consumers.

Smoking cessation measures

Smoking prevention measures cover a broad range of targeted cigarette reduction. Common tobacco control policies include warning labels, advertising bans, and smoke-free environments. As of 2020, around 60 percent of the world population lived in a place where there were warning labels on tobacco products. Furthermore, in 2020, around 34 percent of U.S. employers offered smoking cessation programs to their employees.

In 2020, around 5.2 trillion cigarettes were consumed worldwide. This was a decrease from the total number of cigarettes consumed in previous years. The region with the highest number of cigarettes consumed worldwide, excluding China, is Europe. However, China alone consumed over double the number of cigarettes that Europe did in 2020.

Smoking continues to decrease around the world Overall, the prevalence of tobacco smoking has decreased around the world. In the year 2000, it was estimated that around 27 percent of the world population smoked, with this number decreasing to 17 percent by the year 2020. Every region around the world has seen a decrease in tobacco smoking, but some places have seen larger declines than others with South-East Asia seeing the largest change from 2000 to 2020. Men continue to smoke at much higher rates than women, although the prevalence of tobacco smoking among both men and women has declined over the past two decades. In 2020, around 29 percent of men and five percent of women worldwide smoked. In the year 2000 an astonishing 44 percent of men smoked tobacco.

Which countries smoke the most? As of 2019, the country with the highest number of smokers was China. As of that time, there were around 341 million people in China who smoked. However, given that China is the country with the largest population worldwide, it may not be surprising that it has the highest number of smokers. When looking at the percentage of the population that smokes, China is not even among the top 20 countries. The countries with the highest prevalence of smokers are Kiribati, Nauru, and Papa New Guinea. On both of the small Pacific Island countries of Kiribati and Nauru around 37 percent of the population smokes tobacco.

As of 2021, around 28.3 million adults in the United States were current cigarette smokers. Although this figure is still high, it is significantly lower compared to previous years. For example, in 2011, there were almost 44 million smokers in the United States.

Smoking demographics in the U.S. Although smoking in the U.S. has decreased greatly over the past few decades it is still more common among certain demographics than others. For example, men are more likely to be current cigarette smokers than women, with 13 percent of men smoking in 2021, compared to 10 percent of women. Furthermore, non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic Blacks smoke at higher rates than Hispanics and non-Hispanic Asians, with almost 13 percent of non-Hispanic whites smoking in 2021, compared to just over five percent of non-Hispanic Asians. Certain regions and states also have a higher prevalence of smoking than others, with around 20 percent of adults in West Virginia considered current smokers, compared to just six percent in Utah.

The health impacts of smoking The decrease in smoking rates in the United States over the past decades is due to many factors including policies and regulations limiting cigarette advertising, promotion, and sales, price increases for cigarettes, and widespread awareness among the public of the dangers of smoking. According to the CDC, those who smoke are two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease and stroke and around 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers. In fact, it is estimated that around 81 percent of lung cancer deaths in the United States can be attributed to cigarette smoking, as well as 72 percent of larynx cancer deaths. Cigarette smokers are also much more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with around 16 percent of current smokers in the U.S. living with COPD in 2021, compared to just three percent of those who had never smoked.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Tobacco and Smoking Products in U.S. City Average (CUUR0000SEGA) from Jan 1947 to Feb 2025 about tobacco, urban, production, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

It is projected that the prevalence of tobacco use among those aged 15-24 years will decrease from 20.5 percent in 2000 to 11.8 percent in 2030. This statistic depicts the prevalence of tobacco use worldwide from 2000 to 2022 and projections for 2025 and 2030, by age

Prevalence of smoking is the percentage of men and women ages 15 and over who currently smoke any tobacco product on a daily or non-daily basis. It excludes smokeless tobacco use. The rates are age-standardized.

Prevalence of smoking is the percentage of men and women ages 15 and over who currently smoke any tobacco product on a daily or non-daily basis. It excludes smokeless tobacco use. The rates are age-standardized.

Prevalence of smoking is the percentage of men and women ages 15 and over who currently smoke any tobacco product on a daily or non-daily basis. It excludes smokeless tobacco use. The rates are age-standardized.

The share of individuals who currently smoke cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or a pipe in Greece was around 42 percent in 2020, which makes the Mediterranean country have the highest proportion of smokers in the EU.

Tobacco taxation

In an effort to reduce smoking prevalence among the populace, governments across Europe impose ever-higher tax rates on tobacco, making cigarettes much more expensive for consumers to purchase and hence, compelling them to reduce their consumption. For instance, Finland had the highest cigarette excise tax rate in 2019 at around 68 percent. Other countries like the Netherlands and Germany impose a slightly lower tax rate of 54 and 52 percent, respectively. The German government generated approximately 14.7 billion euros in revenues from tobacco taxation in 2020. With tobacco taxes making up the lion’s share of the price of a pack of cigarettes, European governments hope this will trigger a significant reduction in consumer demand.

To what extent did higher taxes contribute to reducing cigarette consumption in Europe?

With rising tobacco taxation across the European continent in the last years (albeit in varying rates), cigarette consumers have either quit smoking, reduced their intake or switched to e-cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco alternatives. In fact, only 28 percent of individuals consume tobacco in France today, a country once notorious for its prevalent tobacco consumption. This trend has been reflected over the years with a significant drop in the volume of cigarettes annually sold in France: In 2005, more than 54,000 tons of cigarettes were sold, but that figure dropped to nearly 36,000 tons by 2020. During the same time period, the price of the most sold brand of cigarettes in France more than tripled.

As of 2023, the U.S. states with the highest smoking rates included West Virginia, Tennessee, and Louisiana. In West Virginia, around 20 percent of all adults smoked as of this time. The number of smokers in the United States has decreased over the past decades. Who smokes? The smoking rates for both men and women have decreased for many years, but men continue to smoke at higher rates than women. As of 2021, around 13 percent of men were smokers compared to 10 percent of women. Concerning race and ethnicity, smoking is least prevalent among Asians with just five percent of this population smoking compared to 13 percent of non-Hispanic whites. Health impacts of smoking The negative health impacts of smoking are vast. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and many different types of cancers. For example, smoking is estimated to be attributable to 81 percent of all deaths from lung cancer among adults 30 years and older in the United States. Smoking is currently the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

In 2023, around 28.6 percent of the population aged 15 years and above in Indonesia were smokers. Smoking prevalence in Indonesia peaked in 2018 at 32.2 percent. To address the widespread prevalence of smoking, the government imposed a tax hike in 2020. Cigarette consumption in Indonesia Despite the Indonesian government's increase in excise duties on cigarettes and tobacco products, smoking among adults remains high, particularly among men. Cultural norms, low prices, and aggressive tobacco marketing significantly challenge efforts to reduce smoking rates. In Indonesia, smoking is deeply embedded in social practices and often begins at a young age. Recent data indicates that Indonesians aged 18 to 59 smoke an average of 12 cigarettes daily, equivalent to one regular-sized pack of cigarettes sold in the country. Tobacco industry in Indonesia The tobacco industry in Indonesia is a vital economic sector, ranking among the world’s leading producers and consumers of tobacco. Indonesia produced over 200,000 metric tons of tobacco annually, with exports to countries such as the Philippines and the United States. This extensive production and export network underscores the industry's importance to Indonesia's economy. The total export value of tobacco and its manufactured products from Indonesia is estimated to be nearly two billion U.S. dollars, highlighting its significant contribution to the nation's economic landscape.

In 2020, over a quarter of China’s population aged 15 years and older were tobacco users. The share of tobacco users in the general population has been on a downward trend in the past decade, especially among male adults.

An important source of profit and tax China has one of the world's most important tobacco markets. In 2021, the country's tobacco sector contributed more than 1.3 trillion yuan in profits and tax revenue, while creating many opportunities and employment along the value chain. Despite persistent calls for a reduction in the use of cigarettes in the country, China's tobacco market is still expanding. In recent years, e-cigarettes have also gained popularity in China, particularly appealing to younger smokers.

Health risks associated with tobacco use Tobacco use has long-lasting and substantial health implications, including an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. As a result, smoking has emerged as one of the most severe threats to public health in China, further straining the country's already under-resourced healthcare system. To reduce smoking and its impact on the country's population, several tobacco control legislations and rules are widely implemented in China, including bans on smoking in certain public spaces and prohibitions on tobacco advertisements.

This graph presents the change in the sales of tobacco products in Continental France between July 2022 and July 2023, distributed by type of product. It appears that the amount of cigarettes delivered to tobacconists in France has decreased by 8.52 percent over that period, while the amounts of other tobacco products for smoking increased by 5.51 percent in this time span.

During the surveyed time period between August 2016 and February 2017, the north eastern state of Tripura had the largest share of population of tobacco smokers, which constituted a share of approximately 65 percent. It was also noted that the leading five states in terms of share of smokers were also from the north east. The national share of tobacco smokers was approximately 29 percent.

In the period 2023/24, 7.6 percent of pregnant women in England smoked at the time of delivery. The share of pregnant women smoking has decreased since 2006 when almost sixteen percent of pregnant women did so. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to many birth complications, so it is advised that the expecting mother quits smoking for the health of the baby. Situation north of the borderAs in England, Scotland’s share of pregnant women smoking has been declining, although the prevalence remains higher than those in England. In 2022, 12 percent of pregnant women in Scotland smoked during pregnancy, in the year 2000 this share was at almost 29 percent. Younger mothers more likely to smokeIn both England and Scotland, the prevalence of pregnant smokers increases down the age groups. In England, 28 percent of mothers under 20 smoked while pregnant in 2021/22. While in Scotland in the same year, 27.6 percent of teenage mothers smoked when pregnant.

In 2020, the male smoking rate in Malaysia remained nearly unchanged at around 43.8 percent. But still, the rate reached its lowest value of the observation period in 2020. The prevalence of current tobacco use is the percentage of the male population aged 15 years and over who currently use any tobacco product on a daily or non-daily basis. Tobacco products include cigarettes, pipes, cigars, cigarillos, waterpipes, bidis, kretek, heated tobacco products, and all forms of smokeless tobacco. Tobacco products exclude e-cigarettes (which do not contain tobacco), “e-cigars”, “e-hookahs”, JUUL and “e-pipes”.Find more statistics on other topics about Malaysia with key insights such as rate of children immunized against measles in the age group of 12 to 23 months, death rate, and health expenditure as a share of gross domestic product.

Sales of cigarettes in the United States have been declining for decades. From the high of 398.3 billion cigarettes sold in 2001, sales declined to 173.5 billion in 2022.

This statistic shows the total annual expenditure on tobacco in the United Kingdom from 2005 to 2022, based on volume. Over the period, purchases of tobacco appear to have declined annually. In 2005, UK households purchased more than 38 billion British pounds worth of tobacco, whereas in 2022 this figure had gone down to around 21 billion pounds.

The price of cigarettes in the United Kingdom has substantially increased each year since 2000. In 2022, the average retail price of a 20 pack of cigarettes was 12.61 British pounds.

Cigarette taxes

As of 2022, the most expensive country in which to purchase cigarettes in Europe was Ireland, with the UK in second place. Cigarette prices across Europe are driven by the respective taxes imposed within each of the member states and consist of a specific duty per thousand cigarettes and an ad valorem rate onto the recommended retail price, in addition to value added tax (VAT). Thus, the highest rates of taxation are reflected in the retail prices. Governments that impose such strong barriers to the purchasing of tobacco are considered 'nanny states', with high levels of control on other factors, such as advertising, bans of tobacco products on retail displays and graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

UK tobacco industry

The sales of tobacco in the UK has generally been decreasing since 2005. As of 2022, the annual expenditure was at about 21.3 billion British pounds, marking an overall decrease of over 40 percent compared to expenditure in 2005. However, despite the high taxes in the UK and the decrease in expenditure, the revenue of the tobacco industry is expected to grow in coming years. By 2027, the tobacco products market is forecast to have a revenue of about 25.6 billion British pounds.

In 2023/24, tobacco duty tax receipts in the United Kingdom amounted to approximately 8.8 billion British pounds, compared with ten billion pounds in the previous financial year.