World No-Tobacco Day (observed on May 31) offers a moment to spotlight the impact of tobacco use and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use continues to pose a major global challenge, contributing to over 8 million deaths each year despite decades of research and prevention efforts. It remains one of the world’s leading causes of preventable illness and deaths, such as cancer, and a significant contributor to non-communicable diseases, including heart and chronic respiratory diseases. Reducing tobacco consumption can substantially lower the burden of disease and improve life expectancy, making its measurement a vital instrument for public health monitoring and action. To shed light on the scale of tobacco use, we draw on data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) to examine it varies across time, regions, and population groups.
The WDI includes the prevalence of current tobacco use among adults aged 15 years and older. The indicator measures the percentage of people in this age group who use any tobacco product at the time of the survey. This includes smoked tobacco products like cigarettes (the most common form of tobacco used in the world), cigars, pipes, as well as smokeless tobacco products, both oral and nasal. It does not include electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and related electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Both daily and occasional users are counted toward this figure, making it a broad measure of tobacco consumption behavior.
The primary data source for this indicator is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Health Observatory, with data harmonized to adjust for differences in age structure across populations. The significance of the indicator is further underscored by its inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework as Target 3.a.1.
Let’s now examine tobacco use data from a global perspective.
Figure 1: Changes in global tobacco use prevalence
Globally, the prevalence of current tobacco use decreased from 34% to 22% between 2000 to 2022. According to the WHO, this is due to implementation of tobacco control measures in many countries.
Figure 2: Tobacco use: prevalence by country
Countries with highest prevalence of tobacco use among adults are primarily located in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and parts of Europe. The countries with highest prevalence are Nauru (48%), Myanmar (44%) and Kiribati (40%). In most countries, the prevalence of tobacco use is higher among men than women. In 2022, in 13 countries more than half of men used tobacco. The prevalence among men is particularly high in Indonesia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste, where it exceeds 66%. In contrast, high prevalence rates among women are primarily observed in European countries.
Figure 3: Tobacco use: prevalence by age and sex
Tobacco use is most prevalent among middle-aged adults—those aged 35–44, 45–54, and 55–64 years—with rates of around a quarter in each group in 2022. Among men, these same age groups show the highest prevalence. In contrast, the highest prevalence among women is seen in older age groups: 45–54, 55–64, and 65–74. Across all age and sex groups, tobacco use has declined between 2000 and 2022.
Figure 4: Tobacco use: prevalence among adolescents aged 13–15
Understanding the prevalence of tobacco use among youth is crucial, as tobacco use typically begins and becomes established during adolescence. Additionally, using tobacco products is particularly unsafe for children and teens, as nicotine can affects brain development and can contribute to depression, anxiety, and stress.
Although the data coverage for youth is more limited compared to adults, information on adolescents aged 13-15 years is available through school-based surveys [1]. The prevalence of tobacco use among youth is comparable between males and females in low, lower-middle, and upper-middle-income countries, with 12–13% of boys and 6–7% of girls using tobacco.
Figure 5: Country-level comparison of tobacco use in 2000 and 2022
Between 2000 and 2022, the prevalence of tobacco use has declined in most countries. Brazil is a notable example, achieving a substantial decrease from 24% in 2000 to 12% in 2022. The Netherlands also recorded significant improvements, reducing tobacco use from 35% in 2000 to 21% in 2022. In both countries, these declines are closely linked to the implementation of comprehensive tobacco control measures.
Brazil has pursued a strong anti-tobacco agenda since the 1990s, introducing significant tax increases on tobacco products, banning tobacco advertising, and enforcing smoke-free policies in public spaces. The Netherlands has similarly adopted robust measures, including increasing tobacco taxation, extending the smoking ban to the hospitality sector such as restaurants and bars, and raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco from 16 to 18 years.
Although tobacco use has declined in many countries, efforts to reduce tobacco use need to continue, particularly in countries where the prevalence rate remains high. Further, there are growing concerns about the use of ENDS, especially given the significant increase in its popularity in recent years [2]. While countries have begun collecting data on ENDS usage, the coverage, especially among youth, remains limited. Currently, only 38% of the global population aged 13-17 is included in these surveys. For better-informed policies targeting youth, this data gap needs to be bridged urgently.
Dive into the indicators on prevalence of current tobacco use in the World Development Indicators (WDI) database through DataBank and Data360.
Footnote(s):
[1] Similar to adult tobacco prevalence, this indicator does not include ENDS. Further, it is important to note that the prevalence in high-income countries may be underestimated, as surveys in the region often only inquire about cigarette use and not other forms of tobacco.
[2] E-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, are the most common type of ENDS. These battery-operated devices heat a liquid containing nicotine, flavors, and other potentially harmful chemicals to produce an aerosol.
Note(s):
[A] The term country, used interchangeably with economy, does not imply political independence but refers to any territory for which authorities report separate social or economic statistics.
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