About 9.2 percent of U.S. adults smoke cigarettes. More than half of those smokers attempt to quit each year. Statistics on quitlines, products, policies, and interventions show which approaches raise abstinence rates and which fall short.
Key Takeaways
- 9.2% of U.S. adults (about 20.6 million) were current cigarette smokers in 2022
- 57.4% of U.S. adults who were current smokers reported they had tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months (2018)
- 2.5% of U.S. adults used e-cigarettes every day or some days in 2022
- Quitline services in the U.S. reached 1.1 million callers in 2022
- The 2022 National Quitline Data Report reported 1,099,590 unique callers to U.S. quitlines
- In Australia, Quitline services handled 155,000 calls in 2022
- In 2022, 69% of smokers in the U.K. were advised to quit by a health professional (NHS survey data)
- The Global Burden of Disease 2019 study estimated that smoking was responsible for 6.9 million deaths in 2019
- EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) entered into force in 2014 and includes provisions relevant to cessation and nicotine regulation
- In 2022, global tobacco product sales for heated tobacco reached $19.3 billion
- The global smoking cessation market was valued at $7.3 billion in 2023
- The nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) market in the U.S. generated $1.9 billion in 2022
- A 2020 meta-analysis found that digital interventions for smoking cessation increased abstinence rates compared with control (reported effect size in journal)
- A 2019 systematic review reported that e-cigarettes with nicotine can increase smoking cessation compared with nicotine-free e-cigarettes (review in Addiction journal)
- A 2021 randomized trial found that adding varenicline to counseling improved continuous abstinence rates vs placebo (NEJM)
In 2022, millions tried to quit, yet smoking still caused millions of deaths worldwide, making effective cessation vital.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence6 stats
01
9.2% of U.S. adults (about 20.6 million) were current cigarette smokers in 2022
02
57.4% of U.S. adults who were current smokers reported they had tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months (2018)
03
2.5% of U.S. adults used e-cigarettes every day or some days in 2022
04
14.0% of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers in 2019
05
20.0% of adults in Australia were current smokers in 2022
06
8.0 million people worldwide die each year from tobacco use
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
From a prevalence standpoint, smoking remains widespread with 9.2% of US adults (about 20.6 million) still current cigarette smokers in 2022 and 2.5% using e cigarettes every day or some days, alongside a global toll of 8.0 million deaths each year from tobacco use.
02 · Category
Quitline & Programs4 stats
01
Quitline services in the U.S. reached 1.1 million callers in 2022
02
The 2022 National Quitline Data Report reported 1,099,590 unique callers to U.S. quitlines
03
In Australia, Quitline services handled 155,000 calls in 2022
04
U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) reports that in clinical trials, varenicline users had higher quit rates than placebo
Interpretation
Quitline & Programs Interpretation
In 2022, quitline and program services in the U.S. drew about 1.1 million unique callers to help people quit, showing the scale of this support network, while Australia recorded 155,000 calls and clinical-trial results still support effective treatment to boost quit success.
03 · Category
Policy & Spending5 stats
01
In 2022, 69% of smokers in the U.K. were advised to quit by a health professional (NHS survey data)
02
The Global Burden of Disease 2019 study estimated that smoking was responsible for 6.9 million deaths in 2019
03
EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) entered into force in 2014 and includes provisions relevant to cessation and nicotine regulation
04
A 2018 meta-analysis found that smoking cessation services can prevent approximately 1.1 million deaths over 10 years in high-burden settings (modeled impact)
05
U.S. CDC’s 2024 Tips campaign used 1.6 billion media impressions to reach smokers (impressions metric)
Interpretation
Policy & Spending Interpretation
From the Policy & Spending perspective, the combination of strong professional advice coverage in the U.K. (69% of smokers in 2022) and major public investment in media like the CDC’s 1.6 billion impressions in 2024 suggests policy efforts are being mobilized at scale, even as global harm remains massive with 6.9 million deaths from smoking estimated in 2019.
04 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
In 2022, global tobacco product sales for heated tobacco reached $19.3 billion
02
The global smoking cessation market was valued at $7.3 billion in 2023
03
The nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) market in the U.S. generated $1.9 billion in 2022
04
The global smoking cessation aid market was projected to reach $10.8 billion by 2030
05
In the U.S., Medicare covers tobacco cessation counseling for eligible beneficiaries (no cost-sharing guidance in Medicare manuals)
06
$2.6 billion in global tobacco harm reduction market revenue (2023)
07
$1.5 billion projected U.S. smoking cessation market value by 2030
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size angle, tobacco cessation and related alternatives are scaling quickly, with heated tobacco reaching $19.3 billion in 2022 and the smoking cessation market at $7.3 billion in 2023, while the global smoking cessation aid market is projected to grow to $10.8 billion by 2030.
05 · Category
Effectiveness & Outcomes4 stats
01
A 2020 meta-analysis found that digital interventions for smoking cessation increased abstinence rates compared with control (reported effect size in journal)
02
A 2019 systematic review reported that e-cigarettes with nicotine can increase smoking cessation compared with nicotine-free e-cigarettes (review in Addiction journal)
03
A 2021 randomized trial found that adding varenicline to counseling improved continuous abstinence rates vs placebo (NEJM)
04
A 2023 network meta-analysis reported varenicline as one of the highest-efficacy pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation (review in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine)
Interpretation
Effectiveness & Outcomes Interpretation
Across these Effectiveness and Outcomes studies, the overall trend is that multiple intervention types meaningfully improve quitting success, including a 2020 meta-analysis showing higher abstinence with digital programs, a 2019 review indicating nicotine e-cigarettes outperform nicotine-free versions, and a 2021 trial where adding varenicline to counseling improved continuous abstinence, with a 2023 network meta-analysis also ranking varenicline among the highest-efficacy pharmacotherapies.
06 · Category
Tobacco Products & Tech3 stats
01
In a 2022 randomized study, text-message interventions increased smoking abstinence with an estimated odds ratio of 1.6 vs control
02
In a 2023 systematic review, chatbots for smoking cessation improved abstinence outcomes compared with minimal intervention (meta-analysis effect size)
03
The global e-cigarette market was $16.1 billion in 2023 (industry research)
Interpretation
Tobacco Products & Tech Interpretation
Across Tobacco Products and Tech, the evidence shows that digital support is moving the needle, with a 2022 text-message program boosting smoking abstinence by an odds ratio of 1.6 and 2023 chatbot studies improving outcomes, while the global e-cigarette market reached $16.1 billion in 2023.
More related reading
07 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
In a large U.S. claims database study (2020), adding behavioral support to NRT increased quit attempts from 31% to 42% (study-reported rates)
02
A 2020 cost-effectiveness analysis estimated that nicotine patch plus counseling cost about $2,100per QALY gained (modeled in study)
03
A 2019 systematic review found smoking cessation interventions commonly fall below widely used cost-effectiveness thresholds (review reported ICER ranges)
04
A 2018 study estimated the societal cost of smoking in England was £5.9 billion per year
05
A 2022 study found that varenicline plus counseling reduced total health costs versus counseling alone by $1,200per quitter over 2 years (trial-based analysis)
06
A 2023 review estimated the cost-effectiveness of varenicline versus NRT at about €3,500 per QALY (literature-based model)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analyses across multiple studies suggest that adding counseling to nicotine replacement can materially improve quit attempts from 31% to 42% while remaining cost-effective, such as nicotine patch plus counseling at about $2,100 per QALY gained and varenicline plus counseling lowering costs by $1,200 per quitter over two years.
08 · Category
Quitting Behavior1 stats
01
1.6 million people in the U.S. called a quitline in 2020 (unique callers to quitlines)
Interpretation
Quitting Behavior Interpretation
In 2020, 1.6 million people in the U.S. reached out to tobacco quitlines, showing that quitting behavior is supported by a large number of smokers actively seeking help.
09 · Category
Policy & Regulations2 stats
01
EU Member States must implement Tobacco Products Directive requirements including regulated nicotine-related packaging and warnings (2014/40/EU)
02
NICE recommends offering people who smoke a combination of behavioral support and pharmacotherapy as part of evidence-based cessation
Interpretation
Policy & Regulations Interpretation
Under Policy and Regulations, EU requirements force all Member States to adopt Tobacco Products Directive rules on regulated nicotine-related packaging and warnings, while NICE reinforces this evidence-based approach by urging that cessation support combine behavioral counseling with pharmacotherapy.
10 · Category
Clinical Effectiveness5 stats
01
Varenicline has higher smoking abstinence efficacy than nicotine replacement therapy in head-to-head comparisons
02
Combination pharmacotherapy (e.g., patch plus short-acting NRT) improves quit rates compared with single-agent NRT
03
Bupropion increases smoking cessation rates compared with placebo
04
Telephone counseling for smokers increases cessation compared with minimal or no counseling in randomized trials
05
Behavioral support plus pharmacotherapy yields higher long-term abstinence than behavioral support alone
Interpretation
Clinical Effectiveness Interpretation
Across clinical effectiveness evidence from Cochrane, the combination of the right medications and added support stands out, with varenicline outperforming nicotine replacement therapy and combination pharmacotherapy plus behavioral help consistently producing higher quit rates and longer-term abstinence than single-agent or counseling-only approaches.
11 · Category
Economic Impact2 stats
01
Cost-effectiveness analyses generally find smoking cessation interventions are cost-effective in common willingness-to-pay thresholds in high-income settings
02
Sustained smoking cessation reduces future healthcare costs in modeling studies by preventing smoking-related morbidity and mortality
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
From an economic impact perspective, cost-effectiveness analyses consistently show smoking cessation interventions are cost-effective within common willingness to pay thresholds in high income settings, and modeling studies indicate sustained quitting can reduce future healthcare costs by preventing smoking related morbidity and mortality.
report visual · Key figures
How many people use quitting supports—and what share try to quit
Tobacco quit attempts are common, and large-scale quitline services reach millions—while smoking prevalence varies by country and year.
57.4%
57.4% of U.S. adults who were current smokers reported they had tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months (2018)
1,099,590
The 2022 National Quitline Data Report reported 1,099,590 unique callers to U.S. quitlines
9.2%
9.2% of U.S. adults (about 20.6 million) were current cigarette smokers in 2022
14%
14.0% of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers in 2019
20%
20.0% of adults in Australia were current smokers in 2022
69%
In 2022, 69% of smokers in the U.K. were advised to quit by a health professional (NHS survey data)
source-verifiedcdc.gov · naquitline.org · abs.gov.au · digital.nhs.uk2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Tobacco Cessation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/tobacco-cessation-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Tobacco Cessation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/tobacco-cessation-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Tobacco Cessation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/tobacco-cessation-statistics.
Sources & references
45 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)