Adult daily smoking in Australia is down to 8.3% in 2022 to 2023. That still equals about 1.8 million people. Lost health, productivity, and care costs keep building in parallel, from 143,000 hospitalisations in 2022 to 2023 to $6.8 billion spent on healthcare each year.
Key Takeaways
- Smoking costs Australian healthcare $6.8 billion annually in 2023 estimates.
- Tobacco smoking caused 15,688 deaths in Australia in 2018, or 10.4% of all deaths.
- National Tobacco Campaign prompted 300,000 quit attempts in 2023.
- 1.3 million Australians quit smoking successfully in the past decade via programs.
- In 2022-2023, 8.3% of Australians aged 14 and over smoked tobacco daily, equating to approximately 1.8 million people.
Smoking rates remain a major health risk in Australia, but quitting is improving outcomes nationwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Costs24 stats
01
Smoking costs Australian healthcare $6.8 billion annually in 2023 estimates.
02
Total economic burden of smoking reached $136.9 billion from 2015-2019.
03
Lost productivity from smoking premature deaths: $19.2 billion yearly.
04
Residential aged care smoking costs $1.2 billion per year in 2022.
05
Medicare expenditure on smoking-related conditions: $2.4 billion in 2021-22.
06
Workers' compensation claims for smoking diseases: $800 million annually.
07
Fire damage from cigarettes costs $100 million yearly in property losses.
08
Cleaning costs for smoking-related litter: $45 million per year.
09
Premature retirement due to smoking illnesses: $3.5 billion in lost wages.
10
Indigenous smoking economic cost: $3.6 billion annually in health and productivity.
11
Youth smoking initiation costs society $500 million in future healthcare.
12
E-cigarette market growth offset by $200 million in additional health costs.
13
Tobacco tax revenue: $17 billion in 2022-23, but net cost still high.
14
Family financial burden from smoking: $1,200per smoker annually.
15
Hospital bed days lost to smoking: 1.2 million, costing $2 billion.
16
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from smoking: 379,000 yearly, valued at $10b.
17
NSW smoking costs: $4.3 billion per year in healthcare alone.
18
QLD tobacco economic impact: $2.8 billion annually.
19
VIC lost productivity from smoking: $5.1 billion yearly.
20
WA smoking healthcare costs: $1.1 billion in 2022.
21
SA annual smoking burden: $900 million.
22
TAS tobacco costs society $400 million yearly.
23
NT smoking economic cost: $500 million, disproportionately high.
24
ACT healthcare spending on tobacco diseases: $250 million annually.
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
While Australia pockets billions in tobacco taxes, the nation is ironically burning through trillions in health, productivity, and social costs, making smoking a disastrously bad investment for every taxpayer.
02 · Category
Health Impacts27 stats
01
Tobacco smoking caused 15,688 deaths in Australia in 2018, or 10.4% of all deaths.
02
Lung cancer accounted for 9,098 tobacco-attributable deaths in 2023 estimates.
03
COPD deaths linked to smoking numbered 5,289 in Australia in 2022.
04
Cardiovascular disease smoking-attributable deaths were 4,921 in 2021.
05
Smoking during pregnancy led to 1,200 perinatal deaths annually in recent data.
06
Secondhand smoke exposure caused 603 deaths in non-smokers in 2018.
07
Smoking-attributable cancer incidence was 16,945 cases in 2022.
08
75% of lung cancer cases in Australia are attributable to tobacco smoking.
09
Smokers have 15 times higher risk of COPD than non-smokers per AIHW data.
10
Annual hospitalisations due to tobacco: 143,000 in 2022-2023.
11
Smoking reduces life expectancy by 10 years on average for daily smokers.
12
90% of mouth and throat cancers linked to smoking in Australians.
13
Stroke risk 4 times higher for smokers aged 35-44 per Heart Foundation.
14
Low birth weight from maternal smoking affects 8% of births.
15
Secondhand smoke increases child asthma risk by 30% in exposed homes.
16
Smoking worsens diabetes control, increasing complications by 40%.
17
Oral cancer risk 5-25 times higher for smokers vs non-smokers.
18
Erectile dysfunction risk triples for male smokers under 40.
19
Smoking accelerates skin aging by 1.4 times faster than non-smokers.
20
Rheumatoid arthritis risk doubles for current smokers per studies.
21
Hearing loss prevalence 1.7 times higher in smokers aged 48-92.
22
Smoking increases hip fracture risk by 59% in postmenopausal women.
23
Eye diseases like cataracts 2-3 times more common in smokers.
24
Smokers have 30% higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
25
Tobacco use linked to 20% of bladder cancer cases in Australia.
26
Smoking during adolescence doubles lifetime COPD risk.
27
Passive smoking causes 18% of coronary heart disease in non-smokers.
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
While the package may boast a "cool" factor, it's remarkably efficient at delivering a comprehensive health crisis, systematically dismantling everything from your lungs and heart to your skin and hearing, while also casting a long shadow over the lives of the innocent bystanders and unborn children who never even took a puff.
03 · Category
Policy and Regulation24 stats
01
National Tobacco Campaign prompted 300,000 quit attempts in 2023.
02
Plain packaging since 2012 reduced smoking prevalence by 0.8%.
03
Tobacco taxes increased 300% since 2010, cutting consumption 20%.
04
Smokefree legislation in pubs/clubs since 2008 reduced exposure 90%.
05
Retail display bans since 2012 dropped impulse buys by 30%.
06
National ban on vaping imports without prescription in 2021.
07
Prison smoking ban in all jurisdictions by 2015 reduced usage 50%.
08
Mass media campaigns cost $100m over decade, yielding $15 return per $1.
09
Minimum purchase age 18 enforced with 95% compliance in checks.
10
Graphic health warnings cover 87.5% of packs since 2016.
11
National Preventative Health Strategy targets 5% prevalence by 2025.
12
Tobacco-Free Sports Policy adopted by 80% major events.
13
Point-of-sale laws reduced youth exposure to promotions 40%.
14
Menthol ban in cigarettes from 2023 in planning stages.
15
Indigenous Tobacco Control funding $286m over 10 years.
16
Car smoking ban with kids since 2013, 98% awareness.
17
National Framework for Aboriginal Tobacco Control 2012-18 extended.
18
E-cigarette advertising ban across all media since 2019.
19
Workplace smoking bans cover 97% of workers since 2006.
20
School tobacco-free policies in 95% of schools nationally.
21
NSW $50m annual tobacco control investment.
22
VIC Tobacco Strategy 2021-26 with $24m funding.
23
QLD 12-month Quit Kit distribution to 100,000 smokers.
24
WA $15m Tobacco Control Strategy 2023-28.
Interpretation
Policy and Regulation Interpretation
Australia has thrown the kitchen sink at smoking—from terrifying packs to price hikes and outright bans—and while the battle isn't over, the stats show a nation methodically grinding a deadly habit to ash.
More related reading
04 · Category
Quitting and Cessation29 stats
01
1.3 million Australians quit smoking successfully in the past decade via programs.
02
Quitline calls peaked at 142,000 in 2022, leading to 25% quit rates.
03
Nicotine replacement therapy users had 50-70% higher success rates in trials.
04
Varenicline prescription led to 33% abstinence at 6 months in 2023 data.
05
Bupropion success rate: 25% sustained quit at 1 year per studies.
06
Hypnotherapy quit rates: 20-35% at 6 months in Australian cohorts.
07
Acupuncture showed 15% quit rate vs 10% sham in meta-analyses.
08
Mobile apps like QuitNow had 18% user retention quit rate in 2022.
09
Workplace cessation programs achieved 28% quit rates in 2023 pilots.
10
Indigenous-specific programs like Tackling Indigenous Smoking quit 12% participants.
11
Pregnant women quit rates via services: 38% at delivery in 2022.
12
Youth quitlines reached 15,000 calls, 40% success under 25.
13
Cold turkey quit attempts: 5-7% success at 1 year.
14
Behavioural counselling doubled quit rates to 15% in RCTs.
15
E-cigarettes for cessation: 14% quit rate vs 6% NRT in trials.
16
GP advice led to 10% quit attempts, 3% sustained.
17
Pharmacist interventions: 22% quit rate at 3 months.
18
Online programs like QuitCoach: 11% verified quits.
19
Incentives programs boosted quits by 25% in trials.
20
Mindfulness apps for quitting: 19% success in 2023 studies.
21
Group therapy sessions: 24% abstinence at 12 months.
22
Laser therapy claims 40% quit rate, but evidence limited to 18%.
23
Hospital in-reach programs: 35% quit post-discharge.
24
Veteran quit programs: 20% success rate.
25
Rural telehealth quitting: 16% sustained quit.
26
NSW Quit for Life: 30,000 quits annually.
27
VIC Fresh Start: 25% quit rate among participants.
28
QLD 1800 QUIT: 50,000 calls/year, 20% quit.
29
WA Quitline: 18% biochemical validation.
Interpretation
Quitting and Cessation Interpretation
While Australians are stubbornly ingenious at finding ways to quit smoking—from vaping and hypnotherapy to being bribed and digitally nagged—the cold, hard truth is that the most effective method seems to be anything other than relying on willpower alone.
05 · Category
Smoking Prevalence30 stats
01
In 2022-2023, 8.3% of Australians aged 14 and over smoked tobacco daily, equating to approximately 1.8 million people.
02
Among Australian adults aged 18-24, daily smoking prevalence was 5.2% in 2022-2023, a significant decline from 16.5% in 2016.
03
Indigenous Australians had a daily smoking rate of 20% in 2022-2023, compared to 7.4% for non-Indigenous adults aged 14+.
04
In New South Wales, 7.9% of adults aged 18+ were daily smokers in 2022, lower than the national average.
05
Victorian adults showed a daily smoking prevalence of 7.1% in 2023 surveys, with higher rates in regional areas at 9.2%.
06
Queensland's daily smoking rate for adults was 9.8% in 2022-2023, with males at 11.2% and females at 8.5%.
07
South Australian adults aged 15+ had 8.5% daily smoking in 2022, down 2.1% from 2019.
08
Western Australia's smoking prevalence among adults was 7.9% daily in 2023, with a notable drop in Perth metro at 6.8%.
09
Tasmania recorded 12.1% daily smoking among adults in 2022, the highest state rate.
10
Northern Territory adults had 14.3% daily smoking prevalence in 2022-2023, driven by remote Indigenous communities.
11
ACT's daily smoking rate was 5.7% for adults in 2023, the lowest nationally.
12
Males in Australia smoked daily at 9.1% vs 7.6% for females in 2022-2023.
13
People aged 40-49 had the highest daily smoking rate at 10.2% in 2022-2023.
14
Low socioeconomic status groups had 13.4% daily smoking prevalence vs 4.1% in high SES in 2022.
15
Rural Australians smoked daily at 10.5% compared to 7.1% in major cities in 2023.
16
4.6% of Australians aged 14+ were occasional smokers in 2022-2023.
17
Youth aged 12-17 had 0.8% daily smoking rate in 2022-2023, down from 3% in 2017.
18
Pregnant women smoking rate was 8.1% in 2022, higher among Indigenous mothers at 41%.
19
E-cigarette use among daily smokers was 22% in 2022-2023.
20
Roll-your-own tobacco use among smokers was 42% in 2022.
21
Average cigarettes per day for daily smokers was 13.5 in 2022-2023.
22
Smoking prevalence in construction workers was 18.7% daily in 2022.
23
Among veterans, daily smoking was 12.4% in recent surveys.
24
LGBTIQ+ Australians had 14.2% smoking rate vs 8.3% general population in 2022.
25
Disability support recipients smoked at 22.1% daily in 2023 data.
26
University-educated adults smoked at 4.8% vs 12.6% non-tertiary in 2022.
27
In prisons, 70% of inmates smoked daily pre-ban in 2022 surveys.
28
Hospitality workers had 15.3% daily smoking in 2023.
29
Among 65+, daily smoking was 4.9% in 2022-2023.
30
Remote Indigenous communities had 45% smoking prevalence in 2022.
Interpretation
Smoking Prevalence Interpretation
While Australia has made great strides in collectively kicking the habit, smoking's stubborn persistence as a national health issue is laid bare by the chasm between a trendy 5.7% in the ACT and a tragic 45% in remote Indigenous communities, proving that socio-economic disadvantage, not just personal choice, is the real addiction we still need to break.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Australian Smoking Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/australian-smoking-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Australian Smoking Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/australian-smoking-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Australian Smoking Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/australian-smoking-statistics.
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