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These 53 Smoking Statistics Paint a Grave Picture for 2024

Updated: December 29, 2025 by Dorcas Ayodele
smoking facts

Smoking is an ancient practice that involves burning certain types of plants and inhaling/ exhaling the smoke. Although different kinds of plant materials are consumed, smoking is most often associated with tobacco. 

These smoking statistics reveal that, despite the stigma, tobacco smoking is still a global issue, claiming millions of lives every year. This unsavory practice, which is often linked to cancer, can also cause several cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. 

Thanks to several measures and strategies taken to curb this epidemic, smoking rates have significantly declined worldwide. However, due to addiction, stress, culture, and other social reasons, an alarming proportion of people still smoke. 

In this article, we have put together informative statistics on smoking. Dive in to learn some fascinating statistics and facts on smoking to keep you sober.  

Top 10 Smoking Statistics and Facts

  • In 2020, about 65.4% of young American smokers attempted to quit.
  • 1.2 trillion cigarettes have been smoked so far in 2022.
  • Forty-one thousand deaths occurred in the United States due to secondary smoking.
  • As of 2020, overall costs due to tobacco abuse in the US amounted to $300 billion. 
  • About 2.06 million students use electronic aerosol-inhaling devices in the US.
  • In China, more than one million deaths occur yearly due to tobacco smoking.
  • One billion more people could die from smoking.
  • About 5.6 million young people in America could die from smoking.
  • Columbia will be the top country to reduce its percentage of smokers down to 6.1% by 2025.
  • Over one million smoking-related deaths have happened in 2022.

New smoking statistics for 2022

Here are some of the stats and figures to illustrate the successes and progress and the failures and hindrances to curbing the menace of smoking globally.

1. Smoking killed more people than COVID-19 in the year 2021.

(World Bank)

By May 2021, over 160 million people were infected with COVID-19, and 3.5 million had died. The World Bank data of May 2021 showed that about eight million people died from smoke-related causes in 2021.

2. Sales revenue forecast for tobacco products to increase by 2.5% every year until 2025.

(World Bank)

Cigarette makers will continue to ensure that people get addicted to all their products to ensure a yearly growth rate of 2.5% on average. By 2025, the tobacco industry would have profited a huge revenue of $888 billion.

3. In 2020, about 65.4% of young American smokers attempted to quit.

(CDC)

As a sequel to the fact that the dangers of smoking are gaining widespread awareness, more than half of the American youths who smoke are trying to change their habits. Also, about 62.5% of these young adults are considering stopping tobacco use.

4. As many as 41,000 deaths occurred in the United States due to secondary smoking.

(CDC)

Secondhand smoking could be as worse as smoking itself, as incoming data show dangerous health hazards for victims of secondary smoke.

5. So far, 1.2 trillion cigarettes have been smoked in 2022.

(Worldometer)

Cigarette smoking statistics show that cigarettes are still the most popularly known addiction globally, with trillions of cigarettes consumed between January and March this year.

(Worldometer)

Over one million deaths have occurred globally so far in 2022 due to smoking-related complications.

Statistics and Facts about Smoking

Global smoking data derived from reputable health sources provide in-depth insight into this man-made epidemic, as smoking still accounts for eight million deaths worldwide.

7. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use globally. 

(World Health Organization)

Some popular means of consuming tobacco include pipe tobacco, cigars, smokeless tobacco, waterpipe tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, etc.  

8. Nicotine is the primary component of tobacco, and it causes addiction.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

When a person consumes tobacco, nicotine quickly reaches a very high level in their blood, and it enters their brain through the bloodstream. Tobacco facts show that it causes the stimulation of the adrenal glands and the release of adrenaline.

9. The average smoker consumes 1-2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

The average smoker takes ten puffs of cigarettes in about five minutes of smoking. A smoker who consumes a pack of cigarettes per day will get 200 nicotine “hits” to the brain each day. 

10. Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way of reducing health care costs and tobacco use.

(World Health Organization)

According to data provided by WHO, implementing tobacco taxes can also increase the revenue in many countries. Statistics on smoking show that increasing tobacco prices by even as little as 10% can reduce tobacco usage by 4% in high-income countries and by 5% in middle and low-income countries.

11. Less than one in ten US adult smokers succeed in quitting.

(CDC)

In 2018, 55.1% of adult smokers in the country attempted to quit in the past year. When talking about people who want to quit smoking, statistics revealed that only 7.5% of these smokers succeeded in 2017.

12. As of 2020, overall costs due to tobacco abuse in the US amounted to $300 billion. 

(Statista)

About $168 billion was the cost of healthcare for tobacco abuse. In comparison, the overall cost of alcohol abuse totaled at $249 billion.

13. Bhutan is the first country to ban the sale of tobacco products and smoking in public places.

(Britannica)

In 2005, Bhutan led the rest of the world and banned the sale of tobacco products. Other countries like India, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and France have also banned smoking in all public places.

Smoking Demographics; Consumption Statistics and Facts

Traditional cigarette consumption is marginally down right now as youngsters prefer e-cigars and vapes. Western nations tend to have the lowest smoking rates as smoking is declining there. Here are some of the popular demographics.

14. Over 1.1 billion smokers were recorded in 2021. 

(The Guardian)

The number of smokers in the year 2021 reached an all time high. A study published in Lancet about the smoking statistics for 2021 discovered that the population growth of smokers increased by 150 million people.

15. About 2.06 million students use electronic aerosol-inhaling devices in the US.

(CDC)

Studies show the proliferation of nicotine inhaling devices like e-cigars, vapes, and juuls which is gaining social attention amongst young adults.

16. Tobacco addiction begins at a young age.

(Tobacco Free Kids)

Trying cigarette smoking at a young age puts you on an addiction-paved path. The data shows that all chain smokers begin at a tender age in high school. 

17. Countries with the highest HDI see a decline in smoking.

(Tobacco Atlas)

Advanced countries are recording significant success in curbing the number of active smokers and smoking-related deaths.

18. In China, more than one million deaths occur yearly due to tobacco smoking.

(NCBI)

Lung cancer is the leading cancer in china, and this is attributed to the high rate of cigarette smoking. It has been projected that by 2030, about two million deaths will occur annually and will rise to three million by 2050.

19. The majority of tobacco users worldwide live in middle to low-income countries.

(World Health Organization)

WHO reports that more than 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide reside in middle to low-income countries. Tobacco use adds to poverty, as money required to fund basic needs is diverted to buying tobacco.

20. The Western Pacific region has the highest number of smokers worldwide.

(Statista)

In 2000, the Western Pacific region had 380 million smokers aged 15 and older. Smoking statistics worldwide indicate that this number is expected to increase to 382 million by the end of 2020 and decline to 371 million by 2025. South-East Asia has the second-highest number of smokers in the world.

21. Kiribati has the highest smoking rate in the world.

(World Population Review)

With a smoking rate of 52.40%, Kiribati has the highest smoking rate worldwide. According to smoking statistics by country, other countries with a high prevalence of smokers include; Nauru (47.50%), Greece (42.65%), Serbia (41.65%), Russia (40.90%), Jordan (40.45%), and Indonesia (39.90%).

22. US states with a high concentration of tobacco users are called Tobacco Nation.

(Healthline)

These tobacco states include West Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, and Oklahoma. The smoking rates for adults in these 12 states are higher (22%) than the 15% for the rest of the country.

23. In 2018, West Virginia had the highest smoking rates among adults in the United States.

(Statista)

Smoking statistics by state revealed that 25.3% of adults in West Virginia were smokers that year. Other US states with high smoking rates include Kentucky (23.4%), Arkansas (22.7%), Indiana (21.1%), and Tennessee (20.7%).

24. The most expensive country for smokers is Australia. 

(Statista)

The price for a pack of cigarettes in countries such as Australia and New Zealand is very high. Cigarette prices are $25.12 and $21.13, respectively. In the US, a pack of cigarettes costs $8, which is an increase from $7.43 in 2019.

25. A pack of cigarettes in Tobacco Nation states is 19% cheaper than in the rest of the country.

(Healthline)

For example, the tax on a pack of cigarettes in Alabama ($0.675) is lower than the tax on a pack in New York ($4.35) and California ($2.87).

26. Smoking is more prevalent in individuals with lower incomes.

(Healthline)

Smoking statistics in the US show that the average income for residents of the 12 tobacco states is $45,133. This is lower than the average of $56,852 in other parts of the country.

27. Smoking is more common among people with lower education levels.

(Healthline)

Statistics show that only 22% of Americans in the Tobacco Nation-states have a college degree. This is notably lower than 28% for residents of other states.

28. Roughly 4.7 million middle and high school students in the US use at least one tobacco product.

(CDC)

Data from teen smoking statistics revealed that an alarming number of high school students use at least one form of tobacco, including e-cigarettes. Each day, approximately 1,600 American teenagers below the age of 18 try cigarettes for the first time. 

29. The prevalence of cigarette use among the students of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade in the US has declined significantly.

(Statista)

Compared to 1991, when 53.5% of students at these levels admitted they had smoked cigarettes at some point, in 2019, only 15.3% of students in these grades had smoked cigarettes.

30. According to a 2019 survey, 18.7% of US college students had taken tobacco or nicotine products daily/almost daily within the previous three months. 

(Statista)

According to statistics about smoking, 29.8% of US college students had used tobacco or nicotine products once or twice during the stated time frame. Additionally, 9.6% used them weekly, 7.6% took them monthly, and 34.3% of the respondents had never used any tobacco or nicotine products.

(Our World in Data)

According to data from 2017, the death rates for people aged 70 and above were 841.82 per 100,000 individuals in a certain demographic group. Smoking death statistics show that it was followed by people between the ages of 50 and 69 (224.56 per 100,000 individuals), and it was the lowest for people aged 15-49 (12.68 per 100,000 individuals). 

32. In 2019, American Indians had the highest smoking prevalence among adults in the United States.

(Statista)

About 29.1% of American Indian adults in the US were smokers that year. Smoking facts and statistics indicate that they were followed by multiracial people (23.5%), Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (21.8%), and African American people (17.4%).

33. In the UK, smoking is more prevalent among people that identify as gay or lesbian.

(Office for National Statistics)

Following the data from 2018, the proportion of current smokers that identify as gay or lesbian was 22.2%. This was higher than the proportion of smokers who were heterosexuals (15.5%). 

34. Cigarette smoking is more prevalent among US adult males than females. 

(Statista)

According to smoking statistics from 2016, 14.7% of young men aged 18 to 24 years were cigarette smokers at the time, compared to 11.5% of women of the same age. This is seen again in people aged 65 and older, with more male smokers (10.1%) than female (7.7%)

35. Around 12 to 20% of pregnant women smoke.

(American Pregnancy Association)

Due to the fact that babies smoke when their mothers do, over 1,000 babies in the US die each year because their mothers smoked while being pregnant. Smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy, can cause multiple health conditions in babies.

36. E-cigarette use is prevalent among people with mental health conditions.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Electronic cigarette consumption is higher among people with mental illnesses (3.1%) than among people without any mental health condition (1.1%).

Smoking Facts and Statistics; Physical Health Effects

Smoking causes 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths and 8 out of 10 obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths. Lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer.

37. Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable & premature mortality.

(World Bank)

The bad effects of smoking on people worldwide don’t seem to change, including non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke. Smoking kills millions of people yearly globally, and this number will continue to increase if smoking is not thwarted.

38. One billion more people could die from smoking.

(World Bank)

New estimates hint that more and more people are likely to die in this century if the menace of smoking is left unchecked.

39. Exposure to smoke aggravates the symptoms of COVID-19.

(World Bank)

Evidence from several countries suggests that if you are a first or second hand smoker you’ll have extreme odds of COVID-19 severity.

40. About 5.6 million young people in America could die from smoking.

(CDC)

Smoking statistics for 2022 illustrate that if the current teen smoking habits continue, early teenage death will be on the rise. These smoking trends among teenagers will also cause an increase in young Americans with smoke-related ailments.

41. Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year.

(World Health Organization)

Around the world, over 7 million people die from direct tobacco use every year, and around 1.2 million die from being exposed to second-hand smoke. Moreover, nearly 50% of children breathe tobacco-polluted air regularly, and 65,000 children every year die from that exposure.

42. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the US.

(CDC)

CDC smoking statistics show that about 500,000 Americans die prematurely of smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke every year. Additionally, 16 million people live with severe smoking-related illnesses. Despite that, almost 40 million adults in the United States still smoke cigarettes. 

43. Exposure to second-hand smoke can increase the risk of heart disease in adults by 25-30%.

(Healthline)

Data from secondhand smoking statistics revealed that exposure to second-hand smoke in adults increases the risk of stroke, worsens pre-existing cases of high blood pressure, and may increase lung cancer risk by up to 30%. In children, it may worsen asthma symptoms and cause a brain tumor.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

While nicotine doesn’t cause cancer, about 69 chemicals in tobacco smoke are carcinogenic. Smoking and lung cancer statistics show that cigarette smoking increases lung cancer risk by 5–10 times. It is also associated with cancer of the esophagus, bladder, pancreas, kidney, cervix, mouth, and many more.

45. Smoking can cause chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Smoking is closely associated with lung diseases and can worsen asthma symptoms in children and adults. Cigarette smoking, in particular, heightens the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Smoking and heart disease statistics point out that smoking significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, coronary heart disease, and vascular disease. Smoking is also tied to inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, and impaired immune function.

47. Smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of stillbirths. When talking about smoking during pregnancy, statistics show that it is also linked to placenta problems, low birth weight, preterm birth, poor lung functions, and visual difficulties. 

48. Those going through withdrawal from nicotine may experience anxiety and depression.

(National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Withdrawal symptoms peak the first few days after a person stops smoking. A regular smoker may experience increased appetite, irritability, sleep disturbances, cognitive decline, etc.

Tobacco fact: how its consumption affects people and countries

Columbia has the highest decline of smokers worldwide, while Indonesia has the widest smoking gap by gender, with 76.3% for men and 3.6% for women. Other stats are:

49. Columbia will be the top country to reduce its percentage of smokers down to 6.1% by 2025.

(UK Telegraph)

The WHO is targeting a massive reduction of smokers by 2025, the top country which is achieving this feat is Columbia.

50. Teen smoking statistics may thwart the declining records in advanced countries.

(CDC)

The use of e-cigarettes and vapes as emboldened by the internet is making more young people embrace smoking like never before.

51. Big tobacco companies are getting more people addicted.

(Truth Initiative)

They trick users by improving additives like bronchodilators which work by relaxing the muscles around the airways and also with flavors and menthol that give new users an out-of-the-world feeling.

52. Lying about your smoking status is insurance fraud in the United States.

(Finder)

You may end up in jail if you don’t state your tobacco use and smoking habits when applying for health insurance.

53. Smoking causes greater impoverishment.

(PubMed)

Poor smokers use more than 20% of their income to buy cigarettes, with nothing left to pay for smoke-related ailments. Health insurance has a 50% higher premium for smokers around the world.

FAQ

What percentage of smokers will get cancer? 

Cigarette smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer-related deaths. Statistics show that about 10 to 15% of all smokers develop lung cancer, and smoking cigarettes causes at least 90% of all cases. 

In male smokers, the risk of developing lung cancer is 23 times higher than in non-smokers. Besides lung cancer, smoking is also associated with cancer of the stomach, liver, esophagus, mouth, throat, nose, sinuses, cervix, ovary, kidney, bladder, ureter, pancreas, and bowel.

How likely is smoking to kill you? 

In the US, life expectancy for smokers is 14 years shorter than the average expectancy for non-smokers. Data from the WHO says that 8 million people are killed from tobacco use each year. According to a 50-year study in England, about 50% of all smokers will die from smoking. Of this 50%, about half will be killed before or around the age of 50.  

Another research from Nurses’ Health study revealed that smoking-related issues killed approximately 64% of all nurses who smoked.  

How many smokers died in 2021?

Tobacco killed at least eight million people in 2021. Seven million died directly while one and a half million died as a result of secondary smoking.

How many chemicals are in a cigarette?

One cigarette releases over 7000 chemicals when burned. More than 70 of these chemicals released are known carcinogens and are highly poisonous. Most of these chemicals are present in the tobacco plant and are released during the burning process.

What percentage of smokers die from smoking? 

According to a study with over 200,000 participants, about 64% of smokers die of smoking-related causes. Exposure to second-hand smoke also kills 65,000 children and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in infants. 

How many cigarettes does the average smoker smoke a day? 

The amount of cigarettes smoked by the average smoker has declined over the years. In 1993, the average adult smoker smoked 15 cigarettes every day. By 2010, it declined to 11 cigarettes per day, and by 2018, it had dropped to 10 cigarettes daily.

What country has the most smokers? 

The highest smoking prevalence is found in Southeast Asia and the Balkan region of Europe. With a smoking rate of 52.40%, Kiribati is the country with the highest number of smokers worldwide. Other top smoking countries include Nauru (47.50%), Greece (42.65%), Serbia (41.65%), Russia (40.90%), Jordan (40.45%), and Indonesia (39.90%).

Why do people smoke cigarettes?

The most common reason why people smoke is being addicted to nicotine. This addiction causes smokers to feel some withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and depression, causing the “need” for nicotine. However, people also smoke when they are stressed, upset, or unhappy. Additionally, certain situations or certain people may trigger a person to smoke.

Bottom Line

Smoking is a widespread practice that causes the deaths of millions of people worldwide. While smoking rates are declining globally, it is still high in middle to low-income countries. Smoking rates are also high among people with less education and mental illness.

Smoking statistics show that exposure to second-hand smoke can also cause life-changing illnesses and death. Additionally, smoking during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and placenta problems.  

In several countries today, multiple strategies such as tobacco taxes, warning labels, cessation programs, and smoke-free environments have been put in place to reduce the number of smokers globally.

Sources: