Top 5 Countries with the Highest Tobacco Consumption

In this article, we will be covering the top 5 countries with the highest tobacco consumption. If you want to read our analysis of the tobacco industry and consumption trends, go directly to the Top 20 Countries with the Highest Tobacco Consumption.

5. Brazil

Total Annual Tobacco Consumption: 199,049 tons

Population: 212,559,420

Tobacco Consumption Per Capita: 0.94 kg

Percentage of Adult Smokers: 12.8%

Brazil lost 191,127 lives due to tobacco consumption in 2019. This is equivalent to 24.7% of all deaths in the Latin American country. Interestingly, 22.7% of all smokers in Brazil went through major depression, and 20.2% revealed feelings of minor depression. The country felt an impact of $8.9 billion (R$50.28 billion) or 0.7% of the GDP due to healthcare expenses attributed to smoking.

4. USA

Total Annual Tobacco Consumption: 237,079 tons

Population: 331,002,650

Tobacco Consumption Per Capita: 0.72 kg

Percentage of Adult Smokers: 23%

The total annual tobacco consumption was recorded at 237,079 tons in the USA in 2020. The USA has a minimum age limit of 21 years for the purchase and consumption of tobacco products. This change was implemented with the approval of the Federal Tobacco 21 law in December 2019.

3. Japan

Total Annual Tobacco Consumption: 334,339 tons

Population: 126,476,460

Tobacco Consumption Per Capita: 2.64 kg

Percentage of Adult Smokers: 20.1%

The legal age to purchase and consume tobacco products is 20 years in Japan. The county has seen the total number of cigarettes sold annually decline from 348.3 billion in 1996 to 98.9 billion in 2020.

2. India

Total Annual Tobacco Consumption: 566,948 tons

Population: 1,380,004,390

Tobacco Consumption Per Capita: 0.41 kg

Percentage of Adult Smokers: 27.2%

India contributes 70% to the global consumption of tobacco through smokeless means. Every year, around 1.2 million Indians lose their lives due to diseases caused by smoking or second-hand smoke.

1. China

Total Annual Tobacco Consumption: 2,054,035 tons

Population: 1,471,286,870

Tobacco Consumption Per Capita: 1.40 kg

Percentage of Adult Smokers: 25.6%

Around one in every three cigarettes in the world is consumed in China. As a result, 700 million non-smokers in China are exposed to second-hand smoke, and this includes 180 million children as well.

Disclosure: None. You can also take a look at the 20 Largest Exporters of Blueberries in the World and the 20 Biggest Infrastructure Companies in the US.