Imagine a world where a single habit claims more lives each year than COVID-19 did at its peak, yet it's a choice made by over a billion people worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- In 2020, approximately 1.3 billion people aged 15 years and older around the world smoked tobacco
- Globally, 22.3% of the world population consumed tobacco products in any form in 2019
- Smoking prevalence among men worldwide was 36.7% in 2020, compared to 7.8% among women
- Tobacco smoking kills more than 8 million people each year globally, including 1.2 million non-smokers from exposure
- Smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths worldwide, totaling over 8 million annually as of 2020
- Globally, tobacco kills up to half of its users, about 6 million direct deaths per year
- Globally, economic cost of smoking exceeds US$ 1.4 trillion annually, or 1.8% of global GDP in 2012
- Smoking-related healthcare costs worldwide: US$ 422 billion per year
- Lost productivity from smoking: US$ 1 trillion annually globally
- Global cigarette consumption peaked at 6.5 trillion sticks in 2011
- From 2000 to 2020, global smoking prevalence declined from 27% to 22%
- Daily smokers worldwide decreased from 1.36 billion in 2000 to 1.1 billion in 2020
- 177 countries now have at least one comprehensive tobacco control measure as of 2023
- 74 countries implemented graphic health warnings covering 50%+ of packs by 2022
- Global tobacco tax coverage: average 60% of retail price in 2022
Smoking kills millions globally, with most smokers living in poorer countries.
Economic Burden
- Globally, economic cost of smoking exceeds US$ 1.4 trillion annually, or 1.8% of global GDP in 2012
- Smoking-related healthcare costs worldwide: US$ 422 billion per year
- Lost productivity from smoking: US$ 1 trillion annually globally
- In low- and middle-income countries, smoking costs US$ 806 billion yearly in 2012
- Global tobacco taxes generate US$ 269 billion in revenue yearly, but costs are 10 times higher
- Smoking causes 5.4% of global healthcare expenditure
- Premature deaths from smoking lead to US$ 1.2 trillion in economic losses annually
- In China, smoking costs US$ 354 billion per year in health and productivity losses
- India tobacco economic burden: US$ 1.7 trillion over 2017-2026 projected
- US smoking-attributable economic cost: US$ 300 billion annually
- Europe: €98 billion annual cost from smoking in 2018
- Low-income countries lose 1.4% of GDP to tobacco yearly
- Smoking reduces global GDP growth by 0.5-1% annually
- Brazil tobacco costs: US$ 4.8 billion in healthcare alone yearly
- Russia: US$ 48 billion economic loss from smoking annually
- Indonesia: US$ 18 billion yearly cost from tobacco use
- Global fire costs from smoking materials: US$ 40 billion per year
- Smoking-related absenteeism costs businesses US$ 150 billion globally
- Pension costs increase by 10% due to premature smoking deaths
- In Africa, tobacco costs 0.3% of GDP annually
- Asia-Pacific smoking economic burden: US$ 668 billion in 2012
- Smoking increases healthcare spending by 15% in high-prevalence countries
- Global orphaning from smoking deaths: 1.5 million children lose parents yearly, economic impact US$ 20 billion
Economic Burden Interpretation
The world's economy is on life support, hemorrhaging trillions to fund a habit that treats human productivity and healthcare systems like a disposable ashtray.
Health Effects
- Tobacco smoking kills more than 8 million people each year globally, including 1.2 million non-smokers from exposure
- Smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths worldwide, totaling over 8 million annually as of 2020
- Globally, tobacco kills up to half of its users, about 6 million direct deaths per year
- Second-hand smoke exposure causes 1.2 million deaths annually worldwide
- Smoking is responsible for 85% of lung cancer deaths globally
- Tobacco use causes 7.7 million premature deaths per year from diseases like cancer, heart disease, respiratory diseases
- Globally, 16% of all cancers are attributable to tobacco use in 2020
- Smoking shortens life by average 10 years for smokers who die from tobacco-related diseases
- COPD deaths: 1.8 million annually, largely due to smoking globally
- Cardiovascular diseases from smoking: 3 million deaths per year worldwide
- Maternal smoking increases risk of low birth weight by 50% globally
- Secondhand smoke causes 65,000 deaths in children under 5 annually from respiratory infections
- Smokeless tobacco causes oral cancer, responsible for 30% of cases in some regions
- Global burden: 22% of coronary heart disease deaths due to smoking
- Stroke deaths: 17% attributable to tobacco use worldwide
- Smoking increases risk of type 2 diabetes by 30-40%
- Globally, 1.14 million lung cancer deaths in 2020, 80% smoking-related
- Tuberculosis deaths: 15% linked to smoking globally
- Rheumatoid arthritis risk doubles with smoking
- Smoking reduces fertility by 30% in women
- Secondhand smoke increases asthma attacks by 20-30% in children
- Globally, tobacco contributes to 4.9 million DALYs lost from COPD in 2019
- Smoking causes 90% of oral cancer cases worldwide
- Pancreatic cancer risk increases 2-3 times with smoking
- Bladder cancer: 50% of cases linked to smoking globally
- Smoking weakens immune system, increasing pneumonia risk by 2-4 times
Health Effects Interpretation
It is an impressively efficient genocide, casually delivered by the self and upon the innocent alike, packaged in paper and sold as a pleasure.
Policies
- 177 countries now have at least one comprehensive tobacco control measure as of 2023
- 74 countries implemented graphic health warnings covering 50%+ of packs by 2022
- Global tobacco tax coverage: average 60% of retail price in 2022
- 42 countries ban smoking in all indoor public places as of 2023
- Mass media campaigns in 80+ countries reached 2.5 billion people in 2022
- Cessation services available in 70 countries with national quitlines in 2023
- WHO FCTC ratified by 182 Parties, covering 90% world population
- Plain packaging laws in 23 countries by 2023
- Bans on tobacco advertising in 140 countries comprehensively
- Minimum age for tobacco sales raised to 21 in 10+ countries
- Illicit trade protocols ratified by 60+ countries under FCTC
- Australia first plain packs in 2012, now smoking rate 11%
- EU Tobacco Products Directive reduced pack appeal since 2016
- Brazil graphic warnings cover 100% of packs since 2019
- India increased taxes 30% in 2023
- China national ban on indoor smoking in public places partially implemented
- Indonesia delayed graphic warnings to 2023
- South Africa tax at 60% of price, highest in Africa
- Global smoke-free laws protect 1.6 billion from SHS in workplaces
- 50 countries monitor tobacco use via national surveys regularly
Policies Interpretation
The world's slow-motion, meticulously coordinated uprising against cigarettes is showing real progress, with nations now deploying everything from grim packaging and punishing taxes to outright bans, proving that a global patchwork of sensible laws can, piece by piece, outmaneuver a global industry.
Prevalence
- In 2020, approximately 1.3 billion people aged 15 years and older around the world smoked tobacco
- Globally, 22.3% of the world population consumed tobacco products in any form in 2019
- Smoking prevalence among men worldwide was 36.7% in 2020, compared to 7.8% among women
- In low- and middle-income countries, 33% of men and 8% of women smoked in 2020
- Southeast Asia had the highest tobacco smoking prevalence at 29.5% in 2020
- Globally, 82% of the 1.3 billion tobacco smokers live in low- and middle-income countries as of 2020
- Youth aged 13-15 years: 14.9% currently use any tobacco product globally in 2021
- In Europe, 25.3% of adults smoked tobacco in 2020
- Africa has a tobacco smoking prevalence of 15.4% among adults in 2020
- Eastern Mediterranean region: 22.2% adult smoking prevalence in 2020
- Americas region tobacco use rate: 17.3% in 2020
- Western Pacific: 22.5% adult tobacco smoking in 2020
- China has 292 million tobacco smokers, representing 22.1% of adults in 2020
- India: 267 million tobacco users, with 10.7% adult prevalence in 2019
- Indonesia: 69.1 million smokers, 37.6% male prevalence in 2020
- United States: 12.5% adult smoking prevalence in 2021
- Brazil: 10.2% daily smoking prevalence in 2019
- Russia: 39.4% adult smoking rate in 2020
- Pakistan: 19.1% tobacco use prevalence in 2019
- Bangladesh: 35.3% male smoking prevalence in 2019
- Japan: 17.8% adult smoking in 2020
- Germany: 20.5% smoking prevalence in 2020
- France: 25.3% adult smokers in 2020
- UK: 13.9% smoking rate in 2021
- Australia: 11.0% daily smokers in 2022
- South Africa: 22.6% adult prevalence in 2019
- Nigeria: 5.5% tobacco use in 2019
- Mexico: 13.5% smoking prevalence in 2020
- Turkey: 27.2% adult smokers in 2020
Prevalence Interpretation
Despite humanity's vast cultural differences, we appear tragically united in the self-destructive democracy of lighting up, with nearly one in four people globally voting for their own decline with every puff.
Trends
- Global cigarette consumption peaked at 6.5 trillion sticks in 2011
- From 2000 to 2020, global smoking prevalence declined from 27% to 22%
- Daily smokers worldwide decreased from 1.36 billion in 2000 to 1.1 billion in 2020
- Male smoking rates fell 10% globally between 2000 and 2020
- Female smoking stable at around 8% globally from 2000-2020
- In high-income countries, smoking halved from 35% in 1960 to 17% in 2020
- LMICs saw smoking rise then plateau, now declining since 2010
- E-cigarette use rose from 0.4% to 2.5% globally 2015-2020
- Global tobacco production declined 5% from 2010-2020
- Youth smoking (13-15) dropped 40% globally since 2000
- China smoking prevalence down 3% from 2010-2020
- India smokeless tobacco use stable at 21% 2010-2020
- US adult smoking fell from 20.9% in 2005 to 12.5% in 2021
- Europe smoking rates declined 15% since 2006
- Southeast Asia smoking up 2% from 2000-2010, now stabilizing
- Africa tobacco use increased 50% from 2000-2020 in some countries
- Global quit attempts: 70% of smokers try to quit yearly, success rate 7%
- Heated tobacco products use tripled 2015-2020 globally
- Cigarette sales down 4% globally 2018-2022
- Nicotine pouch sales surged 500% 2019-2023 worldwide
- Smoking during COVID-19: no protective effect, prevalence stable 2020-2021
- Global smokeless tobacco users: 367 million in 2020, up from 300 million in 2000
- Bans on menthol cigarettes spreading, affecting 20% of global market by 2023
- Tobacco industry revenue down 2% annually since 2015
- WHO MPOWER reach: 3.8 billion people covered by at least one measure in 2022, up from 1 billion in 2007
Trends Interpretation
The global love affair with cigarettes is finally on the rocks, as evidenced by declining numbers and shifting habits, yet the stubbornly high quit failure rate proves that breaking up is, indeed, hard to do.
Sources & References
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