As of 2022, around **** 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 ** 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 ** percent of men smoking in 2021, compared to ** percent of women. Furthermore, non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic Blacks smoke at higher rates than Hispanics and non-Hispanic Asians, with almost ** percent of non-Hispanic whites smoking in 2022, compared to just under **** percent of non-Hispanic Asians. Certain regions and states also have a higher prevalence of smoking than others, with around ** percent of adults in West Virginia considered current smokers, compared to just *** 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 *** to **** times more likely to develop coronary heart disease and stroke and around ** times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers. In fact, it is estimated that around ** percent of lung cancer deaths in the United States can be attributed to cigarette smoking, as well as ** percent of larynx cancer deaths. Cigarette smokers are also much more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with around ** percent of current smokers in the U.S. living with COPD in 2021, compared to just ***** percent of those who had never smoked.

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.

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.

United States US: Smoking Prevalence: Males: % of Adults data was reported at 24.600 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 25.100 % for 2015. United States US: Smoking Prevalence: Males: % of Adults data is updated yearly, averaging 26.800 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.500 % in 2000 and a record low of 24.600 % in 2016. United States US: Smoking Prevalence: Males: % of Adults data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of smoking, male is the percentage of men 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.; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).; Weighted average;

United States US: Smoking Prevalence: Total: % of Adults: Aged 15+ data was reported at 21.800 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 22.300 % for 2015. United States US: Smoking Prevalence: Total: % of Adults: Aged 15+ data is updated yearly, averaging 23.900 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.400 % in 2000 and a record low of 21.800 % in 2016. United States US: Smoking Prevalence: Total: % of Adults: Aged 15+ data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).; Weighted average;

In 2021, some 13 percent of all men in the United States were current cigarette smokers, compared to 10 percent of women. This statistic shows the percentage of persons who were current cigarette smokers from 1997 to 2021, by gender.

County-level smoking data originating from the CDC and produced by Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura and Mokdad, Ali H. and Srebotnjak, Tanja and Flaxman, Abraham D. and Hansen, Gillian M. and Murray, Christopher JL— (2014), “Cigarette smoking prevalence in US counties: 1996-2012,” Population Health Metrics, 12, 5. Original file provided by the above authors available at https://goo.gl/tNbpsS

Forecast: Smoking Prevalence in the US 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

2005-2009. SAMMEC - Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs. Smoking-attributable mortality (SAM) is the number of deaths caused by cigarette smoking based on diseases for which the U.S. Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is a causal factor.

This statistic shows the results of a survey on smoking habits, conducted in the United States from 2005 to 2015. The survey was conducted in July of each year, except for 2009, when it was conducted in June. In 2013, 80 percent of respondents in the United States said they had not smoked any cigarettes in the past week, while 19 percent stated they had.

Smoking in the United States

The percentage of smokers has decreased from 25 percent in 2005 to 19 percent in 2015, with total cigarette consumption also decreasing, reaching peak consumption back in 1980. This goes along with the fact that 80 percent of Americans believe that smoking is actually very harmful to the people who smoke. Yet, the number of adult smokers who still currently smoke is still close to 40 million in the United States. Of the people that still smoke, 72 percent consider themselves to be addicted whereas only 27 percent believe otherwise.

Even though the number of smokers seems high, the United States is near the bottom of a list of countries showing the share of the population who smoke on a daily basis compared to other countries around the world. Greece and Indonesia are at the top, closely followed by Latvia.

The general understanding that smoking is bad for your health has generated another way of smoking in the United States which is particularly popular amongst young adults – e-smoking. E-cigarettes run on batteries and have a cartridge that contains nicotine in a solution, which when smoked, heats the liquid, causing it to evaporate. In the past few years, e-cigarette use tripled in schools, surpassing regular cigarettes. When adults were questioned as to their motivations to try e-smoking, 47 percent responded that it was because of family and friends, while 39 percent said that it was the ability to be able to smoke inside.

A survey from the fall of 2023, found that the most used tobacco products among college students in the United States were e-cigarettes or other vape products. At that time, around 75 percent of college students who used tobacco products in the past three months reported they used e-cigarettes or other vape products. The same survey found that among college students who reported ever using a tobacco product, around 24 percent stated they used tobacco daily or almost daily in the past three months, while 26 percent had used just once or twice. What is the most popular kind of tobacco product in the United States? Although e-cigarettes are the most used tobacco product among college students, the most commonly used form of tobacco among U.S. adults is still regular combustible cigarettes. In 2021, around 10 percent of women and 13 percent of men were current cigarette smokers, compared to four percent of women and five percent of men who smoked e-cigarettes. However, e-cigarette use is much more common among younger adults, not just college students. In 2021, around 11 percent of those aged 18 to 24 years used e-cigarettes, while five percent smoked combustible cigarettes. Smoking trends in the United States Smoking in the United States has dramatically decreased over the past few decades. In 1965, it was estimated that around 42 percent of adults in the U.S. smoked, but this number was only about 14 percent in 2019. Nevertheless, that is still almost 31 million people who smoke and are at risk of premature death due to cancer, cardiovascular disease, or stroke, just a few of the risk factors of smoking. The state with the highest percentage of adults who smoke is West Virginia, while Utah has the lowest prevalence of smoking. In 2022, around 20 percent of adults in West Virginia smoked, compared to six percent in Utah.

2000 to Present. Adult Tobacco Consumption in the U.S. This dataset highlights critical trends in adult total and per capita consumption of both combustible (cigarettes, little cigars, small cigars, pipe tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco) tobacco products and smokeless (chewing tobacco and snuff) tobacco from 2000 to present. To view the CDC MMWR report, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6548a1.htm.

This dataset provides prevalence estimates by county, year, and sex from 1996 to 2012.

Electronic cigarette ever use and past month use according to ever use (yes or no) and past month use (yes or no) of other tobacco products, 2011–2015.

This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the U.S. who were current cigarette smokers as of 2016, by education level. In 2016, approximately 40.6 percent of surveyed adults with only a GED were current smokers, compared to 4.5 percent of those with a graduate degree.

Cigarette use intensity and quit intentions according to past month use (yes or no) of electronic cigarettes, 2011–2015.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Tobacco Products and Smoking Supplies by Size of Consumer Unit: Five or More People in Consumer Unit (CXUTOBACCOLB0507M) from 1988 to 2023 about tobacco, consumer unit, supplies, expenditures, persons, and USA.

Weighted least squares sample estimates and 95% confidence intervals of ever and past 30-day smoking for 18 to 21 year old respondents by survey modality, gender and race/ethnicity for six U.S. national surveys.

United States CPI U: AW: GS: Tobacco & Smoking Products (TS) data was reported at 0.693 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.665 % for 2016. United States CPI U: AW: GS: Tobacco & Smoking Products (TS) data is updated yearly, averaging 0.818 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.402 % in 2001 and a record low of 0.665 % in 2016. United States CPI U: AW: GS: Tobacco & Smoking Products (TS) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.I011: Consumer Price Index: Urban: Weights (Annual).

Estimates of ever and past 30-day smoking for 18 to 21 year old respondents in six U.S. national surveys conducted between 2013 and 2014.