Cigarettes

There was a slight increase in volume sales in cigarettes in Algeria in 2023, mainly due to population growth, with smoking prevalence falling slightly, particularly among men. Consistent tax increases over the review period dampened volume sales…

In 2023, cigarette sales in Argentina experienced a notable retraction, primarily driven by the country’s ongoing economic crisis, which significantly impacted consumer purchasing power. The weakening economy led to a moderate decline in cigarette…

Demand for cigarettes in Australia continued to decline in 2023. The country has one of the lowest smoking rates in the OECD, with just 10% of people over the age of 15 years being daily smokers, in contrast to the OECD average of 16%. Incidence…

In 2023, the retail value sales of cigarettes in Austria continued their downward trajectory, dropping below pre-COVID-19 volume sales levels of 2019. During the pandemic, cigarette consumption had seen a temporary boost due to increased consumption…

There was some volume growth of cigarettes in Azerbaijan in 2023. While the government has imposed policies to reduced prevalence, including increasing excise taxes, banning advertising and imposing restriction on smoking in public places, smoking…

Sales of cigarettes continued their downward trend in Belgium throughout 2023. This decline can be attributed to several factors. The Belgian government significantly increased excise duties on cigarettes in 2023, leading to higher prices that…

In 2023, cigarettes in Bolivia witnessed a notable surge in the presence of smuggled brands. These products, previously predominant in provinces and rural areas, made significant inroads into urban markets, particularly in kiosks, popular markets,…

Smoking prevalence in Bosnia and Herzegovina has continued to decline throughout the review period, a trend that persisted into 2023, exerting a downward pressure on cigarette consumption. This decline is attributed to a growing number of…

Cigarettes saw a strong retail volume increase in Brazil in 2023, although this was mainly due to a switch from illicit trade, rather than a strong increase in demand for tobacco products, with a decline in smoking prevalence. In 2023, cigarettes in…

Cigarette consumption in Bulgaria recorded a marginal decline in 2023. The switch to alternative products among younger adults, such as heated tobacco products and single use cigarettes, has become very popular over the last year. Millennials and Gen…

In 2023, amidst persistent inflationary pressures, consumer preferences in the area of cigarettes underwent a notable transformation in Cameroon. Affordability emerged as a paramount concern, prompting a discernible shift towards economically priced…

In 2023, Canada saw a significant decline in the production of traditional cigarettes, with January marking the third lowest monthly production on record. This decrease in production capacity in the tobacco manufacturing industry marks part of the…

Retail demand for cigarettes in Chile continued to decline in 2023. Cigarette smuggling has became a major issue for Chilean tobacco. A study, conducted by British American Tobacco and the MIDE Center at the Catholic University of Chile, revealed…

In 2023, retail volume sales of cigarettes in China maintained negligible growth. Cigarettes in China is strictly regulated by The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA). In recent years, cigarette production remained relatively stable. With…

In 2023, sales of cigarettes in Colombia returned to a declining trend following a slight increase in the year prior. The downward trend is not only caused by lower smoking prevalence, but the shift towards alternatives like e-vapour products.…

Despite a significant reduction in domestic inflation, average unit prices for cigarettes in Costa Rica continued to rise in 2023. Indeed, official sources indicate the consumer price index (CPI) for these products increased at a faster rate than in…

Despite continuously rising prices, cigarettes in Croatia saw a further increase in retail volume sales in 2023, albeit a moderate upturn and significantly slower than in 2021 and 2022. Croatia is one of the rare EU markets that is seemingly showing…

Retail volumes sales of cigarettes in Denmark continued to see a double-digit decline in 2023. This performance fits with a general downward trajectory in the smoking prevalence for cigarettes in the market, as taxation, health and wellness trends…

The cigarette market in the Dominican Republic continued to decline in 2023 in volume terms due to rising health awareness, resulting in more smokers quitting and fewer new cigarette consumers. Sales have also been impacted by the shift to e-vapour…

Cigarettes saw volume sales fall significantly in Ecuador in 2023. The illicit market continued to deepen its penetration within the Ecuadorian market during the year. The high tax levied on the legal industry has caused a substantial price gap…

The market for cigarettes in Egypt witnessed a decline in volume terms in 2023, within a context of continuing economic uncertainty. Multiple devaluations of the Egyptian pound and a lack of foreign currency made it more difficult for tobacco…

In 2023, cigarettes in Estonia witnessed another year of retail volume sales decline. The downward trajectory is partly due to consumers becoming more conscious of health and therefore likely to quit the habit. However, the major reason for the fall…

Volume sales of cigarettes in Finland continued to decline in 2023. Finns are very aware of the harmful impact of smoking, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a clear polarisation taking place between those who smoke and…

Cigarettes saw volume sales decline in France in 2023. Legal sales of cigarettes were forced to take another backseat in 2023. Having seen no tax increase in 2022 (the immediate post-pandemic period), taxes rose again in 2023, which resulted in a…

There was a significant increase in volume sales of cigarettes in Georgia in 2023. This was partly due to an increase in population, as there were increased numbers of immigrants from Russia, as a result of the war in Ukraine. Also, inflation…

During the pandemic, cigarette consumption benefitted from remote working as well as high levels of stress among the local population. Moreover, consumers were not able to cross borders during the lockdowns to buy their cigarettes in neighbouring…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes in Greece posted a decline in 2023, following the sluggish performance of the previous year. This occurred within the context of rising levels of health awareness in the country, which had a negative impact on…

Guatemala registered another decline in smoking prevalence over 2023, hindering sales of cigarettes. Traditional cigarette smokers have been increasingly migrating to reduced risk alternatives, such as heated tobacco devices, whilst many have taken…

Following slowing growth post-pandemic, volume sales of cigarettes in Hong Kong declined in 2023, in line with a stronger fall in smoking prevalence among the adult population. This downward trend was despite the relaxation of pandemic-related rules,…

Tobacco in Hungary saw a decline in volume terms overall in 2023, attributed to several and various factors. Despite price hikes that remained below the annual inflation rate, the market's largest segments struggled to stem the fall. Volume sales of…

With mobility returning to pre-COVID levels, the frequency of consumption occasions has increased. This has led to the fastest volume growth in a decade, primarily driven by India's sizable population of working individuals. As of 2022, according to…

Cigarettes saw volume sales decline in Indonesia in 2023. Retail volume sales of legal cigarettes in Indonesia have experienced fluctuation in recent years, with a significant fall in the final year of the review period. While legal cigarette volumes…

In 2023, the Irish cigarette market continued to decline, with volume sales dropping fast. Many factors contributed to this double-digit decline – the high cost of living and rising tobacco product taxes are two of the main causes. Ireland is…

Cigarettes saw a significant increase in volume sales in Israel in 2023. The outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War in October 2023 led to an increase in smoking, with more than one survey seeing a notable increase in the frequency of smoking amongst…

Cigarettes in Italy continued to decline in volume terms in 2023, as the number of cigarette smokers diminish. At the same time, the rising tax on cigarettes is pushing up prices, supporting value sales but also acting as a deterrent to cigarette…

Cigarettes in Japan continued to decline in retail volume terms in 2023, marking the 11th consecutive year of decline. Cigarettes is still the largest tobacco category in Japan, accounting for over half of value sales; however, the decreasing…

In 2023, cigarettes in Kazakhstan continued to experience negative trends, leading to the ongoing decline in retail volume sales. This was informed by the ongoing gradual decrease in the number of smokers and reduced smoking prevalence, as well as a…

Cigarettes only managed sub-decimal growth in volume terms in Kenya in 2023, while value is better supported by price hikes. One key reason for the low volume performance is because the tobacco industry in Kenya faces significant challenges stemming…

Throughout 2023, retail sales of cigarettes in Latvia sustained a downward trajectory. This trend was primarily driven by the steady increase in average unit prices, attributed to excise tax policies and heightened competition from alternative…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes continued to decline in Lithuania in 2023. Consumers are increasingly aware of the health risks associated with smoking, a concern further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which created additional impetus for…

Overall, economy and premium cigarettes gained retail volume share at the expense of mid-priced brands in 2023. The main reason for this trend was high inflation, which drove up living costs and increased cigarette prices. British American Tobacco…

Faced with legislative pressure to raise prices and with the growth of the illicit market in Mexico, category leaders such as British American Tobacco opted to expand their portfolios through the addition of lower-priced products to their brand…

The post-pandemic rise in cigarette volume sales in Morocco ended in 2022, with the negative trend persisting throughout 2023 and only marginally positive growth see in 2024. The commission for the approval of the price of tobacco products in Morocco…

Despite the level of uncertainty and disruption to the regulatory framework governing cigarettes, the shift away from tobacco towards e-vapour products continued to intensify in 2023, although there are concerns over the prevalence of vaping among…

Cigarettes witnessed a deeper decline in volume terms, as the challenging economic conditions in Nigeria continued in 2023. High inflation limited purchasing power forcing consumers to cut back on cigarette consumption. The depreciation of the local…

As was the case throughout the review period, cigarettes in North Macedonia saw retail volume sales contract in 2023 as smoking prevalence among the adult population continued to fall in line with rising health-consciousness. Having recently become…

Volume sales of cigarettes continued to decline in Norway in 2023. Smoking prevalence dropped in 2023 compared to 2022 with more people quitting smoking or switching to smokeless tobacco such as snus. The government is making concerted efforts to…

In 2023, volume sales for cigarettes in Pakistan fell by over a quarter. This was due to significant tax hikes, with the sales tax increasing to 18%, from 17% and the Federal Excise Duty increasing by 146%. At the same time as these significant tax…

Cigarettes in Peru continued to suffer from persistent illegal trade in 2023. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the advance of the illicit market - essentially composed of smuggling – has been relentless, with illicit trade in 2023…

Sales of cigarettes experienced a slight decline in volume terms in 2023. Sales saw strong growth in 2022 as large numbers of refuges entered Poland following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, many of these refugees from Ukraine returned to…