Comparing the 126 selected regions regarding the smoking prevalence , Myanmar is leading the ranking (42.49 percent) and is followed by Serbia with 39.33 percent. At the other end of the spectrum is Ghana with 3.14 percent, indicating a difference of 39.35 percentage points to Myanmar. Shown is the estimated share of the adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke on a daily basis. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

Comparing the 127 selected regions regarding the number of smokers , China is leading the ranking (292.8 million individuals) and is followed by India with 109.74 million individuals. At the other end of the spectrum is Seychelles with 0.02 million individuals, indicating a difference of 292.78 million individuals to China. Shown is the estimated share of the adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco, be it on a daily or non-daily basis.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

As of 2019, around two percent of individuals aged 15 years and older in Panama were daily smokers, making Panama one of the countries with the lowest prevalence of daily tobacco smokers worldwide. This statistic illustrates the 20 countries with the lowest prevalence of daily smokers worldwide as of 2019.

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.

In 2021, Jordan had the highest rate of daily smokers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at almost 30 percent, followed by Turkey, and the West Bank and Gaza strip respectively. The majority of countries in the region had daily smoking rates between 10 and 20 percent.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two countries with the largest populations in the world also have the highest total number of smokers. However, in 2019, China had more than double the number of smokers as India even though just four years later India would overtake China to become the most populous country in the world. In 2019, a total of around 341.3 million people in China smoked compared to 130.7 million in India.

Which country smokes the most? Although China and India have the highest number of total smokers, they are not the countries with the highest rates of smoking. The countries with the highest share of their population who are smokers are the Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and Nauru, followed by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. As of 2019, around 37 percent of the populations of Kiribati and Nauru were smokers. The countries with the lowest rates of smoking are Panama and Ghana where only around two percent of people smoke tobacco. Rates of smoking are generally higher among men than women, but the difference varies greatly from country to country.

Deaths due to smoking Smoking tobacco increases the risk of a number of diseases including heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many forms of cancer. In 2019, it was estimated that around two million deaths worldwide due to ischemic heart disease could be attributed to smoking, as well as a further 1.4 million deaths from tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer. Men account for the vast majority of deaths attributable to tobacco with the regions of the Western Pacific and South-East Asia reporting the highest number of such deaths. It is estimated that in China up to 35 percent of deaths among men can be attributed to tobacco use.

In 2022, around 41 percent of men aged 15 years and older in Türkiye were smoking daily, while just 16 percent of women smoked. This statistic shows the percentage of smokers in the population of select countries worldwide as of 2022, by gender.

According to the data, it is projected that the prevalence of tobacco smoking among those living in Africa will decrease from around 14.5 percent in 2000 to 7.4 percent in 2025. This statistic depicts the prevalence of tobacco smoking worldwide from 2000 to 2020 and projections for 2025, by region.

As of 2021, Bulgaria had the highest share of adults who smoked daily in Europe, at almost 30 percent. In Turkey there were also a high prevalence of daily smokers reported at 28 percent. On the other hand, smoking is less popular in Nordic countries, with Sweden, Norway, and Iceland have fewer than ten percent of their populations smoking daily. Attempts to quit smoking In a European survey addressed to smokers in 2020, Bulgaria and Romania had the largest share of smokers who reported never attempting to quit smoking, at around three-quarters. Meanwhile, roughly eighty percent of smokers in the United Kingdom attempted to quit smoking in the past. In a separate survey, many smokers in Europe were aware of the cancer risks of smoking and had attempted to cut down on the habit as a result. Overall, young people across Europe were less likely to quit smoking, with 64 percent of those aged 15 to 24 reporting never attempting to quit. Smoking among youth Roughly a third of school students in Lithuania had tried smoking cigarettes by the age of 13, out of whom 3.5 percent were daily smokers. Among a slightly higher age group, by the age of 16 years, Slovakia held the highest share of youth trying cigarettes in their lifetime at 58 percent, with 29 percent having smoked a cigarette within the past month. In almost every European country, more than half of school students surveyed said it easy to obtain cigarettes, with Denmark coming at the top of the list with 79 percent of its students. Nevertheless, smoking has generally declined among European youths over the past decades; down from 26 percent of 16 year olds smoking in 1999 to 10 percent by 2019.

Indonesia is leading the ranking by male smoking prevalence , recording 72.3 percent. Following closely behind is Myanmar with 66.96 percent, while Ghana is trailing the ranking with 6.1 percent, resulting in a difference of 66.2 percentage points to the ranking leader, Indonesia. Shown is the estimated share of the male adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco, be it on a daily or non-daily basis.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2022, around 28 percent of the population aged 15 years and over in Türkiye smoked every day. This statistic shows the percentage of the population in select countries worldwide who smoked daily as of 2022.

As of 2019, around 32 percent of teens aged 13 to 15 years in Bulgaria were current cigarette smokers, making it one of the countries with the highest prevalence of young teen smokers. This statistic illustrates the 20 countries with the highest prevalence of current young teen smokers worldwide as of 2019.

Comparing the share of cigarette smokers in selected countries worldwide, the highest share can be found in Turkey with 62 percent of consumers falling into this category. Indonesia follows in the second place, while Dominican Republic ends up at the bottom of the ranking.Statista Consumer Insights offer you all results of our exclusive Statista surveys, based on more than 2,000,000 interviews.

Among the shown European countries, Turkey had the highest share of men who smoked daily as of 2022, at over 40 percent. France had the highest share of female smokers, with almost a quarter of women smoking in the country.

From the selected regions, the ranking by female smoking prevalence is led by Serbia with 39.15 percent and is followed by Bulgaria (37.24 percent). In contrast, the ranking is trailed by Azerbaijan with 0.08 percent, recording a difference of 39.07 percentage points to Serbia. Shown is the estimated share of the female adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco, be it on a daily or non-daily basis.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The global smoking prevalence in was forecast to continuously decrease between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.5 percentage points. After the eighth consecutive decreasing year, the smoking prevalence is estimated to reach 20.66 percent and therefore a new minimum in 2029. Shown is the estimated share of the adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke on a daily basis. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the smoking prevalence in countries like North America and Caribbean.

This statistic depicts the prevalence of tobacco smokers worldwide from 2000 to 2025, by country income group. According to the data, it is projected that the prevalence of tobacco smokers in high-income countries will drop from 33.6 percent in 2000 to 20.5 percent in 2025.

Between 2010 and 2021, the share of tobacco users, including those who smoke and those who use smokeless tobacco, decreased among selected Latin American countries. The percentage of tobacco users in these nations is expected to fall in the coming years. Chile is forecast to have the highest share of tobacco users during the period depicted. As of 2020, Chile had approximately 5.4 million smokers.

From the selected regions, the ranking by number of female smokers is led by the United States with 23.49 million individuals and is followed by Russia (15.58 million individuals). In contrast, the ranking is trailed by Sri Lanka with 0 million individuals, recording a difference of 23.49 million individuals to the United States. Shown is the estimated number of female smokers in a given region or country. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco, be it on a daily or non-daily basis.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

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.