10 Countries that Smoke the Most Cigarettes in the World

While the overall level of cigarette smokers in the world may have decreased, the 10 countries that smoke the most cigarettes in the world still have a long way to go. Globally, the prevalence of smoking cigarettes is going down as people are becoming more aware of the dangers it poses, and are either avoiding it, or switching to alternatives which are less harmful and help avoid addiction. However, it is true that for countries with low income and developing economies, cigarettes have proven to be a cheap source of immediate release and as such, are still consumed frequently. Another reason contributing to the prevalence of smoking in such countries is the fact that most people don’t have access to information which proves how harmful cigarettes are, or are not educated enough to fully understand the effects.

If you were to generally ask about the heaviest smokers in the world, you would probably be pointed towards Andorra smoking, where adults consume 6,398 cigarettes every year. However, based on the rankings that we have devised, Andorra does not even crack the top 10. While we’ll present you with the smoking rates by country 2019, if you want to learn more about the smoking rates by country 2018, you can head on over to 15 countries with the highest cigarette consumption in the world.

Globally, over 1 billion people smoke cigarettes, the overwhelming majority of which are men (942 million). Male smoking had a significant presence throughout the last century in countries with a High Development Index, but it is decreasing overall as time progresses. However, smoking has increased in countries which have a Low HDI, especially in African countries where smoking has picked up in recent years. Add to the fact that nearly 98% of countries with a low HDI have not yet implemented effective smoking monitoring systems means it will not be easy to control.

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To determine our rankings, we went through the data provided by Tobacco Atlas. The data showed nearly all the countries in the world and the percentage of both men and women who smoked in the country. We ranked each country by the prevalence of smoking in its male population as well as female, and then determined the average ranking of each country. Utilizing this approach allowed for a more accurate ranking which could negate biases which may have been present in other methodologies. For example, simply mentioning the number of smokers in a country will always result in countries with the highest population filling out the rankings.

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Here is our rankings about the 10 countries that smoke the most cigarettes in the world:

10. Bulgaria

While Bulgaria consistently increases the cost of buying cigarettes as well as imposing laws banning smoking in public places, the public’s passion for smoking and the weak enforcement of the law means that cigarettes have a major presence in the country.

9. Cyprus

Cyprus has also enacted laws which ban the smoking of cigarettes in places such as bars or restaurants. However, as with Bulgaria, the law is not enforced very strictly because of which the police were even admonished for not carrying out the requisite number of checks. In a country where nearly one third of the population smokes, the strict enforcement of such laws is required if any dent in the smoking statistics is to take place.

8. Croatia

32% males in Croatia smoke, mainly because of average taxes imposed on cigarettes, which don’t really act as a deterrent to the general population.

7. France

France may be famous for its wine and pastries, but smoking is also one of the staples of French life. While the percentage of males who smoke in France isn’t as high when compared to the rest, the kicker is that the females in France also have a prevalence for smoking, earning France a spot on the list of 10 countries the smoke the most cigarettes in the world.

6. Greece

Greece has a high proportion of female smokers as well, which is why it is present on the list. Despite its economic woes, the people in Greece are not ready to abandon smoking, and the lax enforcement in law has helped their case.

5. Macedonia

Smoking is highly prevalent in Macedonia, with over 36% of the male population smoking regularly. This has even led to an increase in deaths due to lung related diseases and action needs to be taken before the situation gets worse.

4. Lebanon

In Lebanon, smoking is actually a cultural thing, which can make it really hard for one to curb smoking in the country. A common theme across the countries mentioned in this list is that while they have laws present to curb smoking, their ineffective administration means those laws are effectively redundant.

3. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nearly 40% of males smoke in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is an alarming statistic to read. It is one of the few countries in Europe which basically allows smoking in nearly all the indoor spaces in the country, which in turn would explain why 9,000 people die annually due to smoking related diseases.

2. Latvia

Nearly half of all males in the country smoke, and the economic cost of the same amounts to approximately 577 million euros, a staggering amount indeed. And while laws are present to ban smoking in public spaces, it hasn’t really reduced the number of smokers in the country.

1. Kiribati

Surprisingly topping the list of 10 countries that smoke the most cigarettes in the world is Kiribati, a country you’ve probably never even heard of till now. Nearly 50% of all males smoke cigarettes in the country, as do a quarter of women. This approximates to over 22,000 smokers in a population of just over a hundred thousand people!