Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities...
Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities across industries in Eastern Europe, with the latest regional and country-level analysis and market statistics.
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…
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…
Cigarettes saw a slight rise in volume sales in Ukraine in 2023. This came after several years of marked volume decline. Amongst the reasons for this upturn in volumes were the low starting base following a steep decline in the previous year because…
The year 2023 witnessed significant declines in the demand for cigars and cigarillos in Latvia. This downward trend is indicative of the niche status and limited demand for these products. In the case of cigars, the sales decline observed in 2023…
The cigarillos category did not see much positive activity in Lithuania in 2023. The major competitive battles are fought outside this category, leaving it with little attention from market players and consumers. However, the government did not…
Fine cut tobacco was the most dynamic performer within cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in North Macedonia in retail volume growth terms in 2023. This product type continued to gain ground as an economical substitute for cigarettes as unit…
Cigars and cigarillos saw a double-digit decline in volume sales in Ukraine in 2023, while smoking tobacco volumes also fell during the year. Both the cigars and cigarillos, and the smoking tobacco categories have suffered significantly during…
In 2023, e-vapour products in Lithuania continued to show strong growth. A significant number of consumers are shifting from regular cigarettes to alternatives perceived as less harmful, particularly single-use vaping devices and heated tobacco.…
Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products, and heated tobacco in Latvia continued its upward trajectory in 2023, primarily driven by the increasing popularity of heated tobacco and single-use vaping systems. While this growth trend has been consistent…
E-vapour products saw a fall in sales in current value terms in Ukraine in 2023, while heated tobacco products saw growth in both current value and volume terms. E-vapour products experienced a significant change in market conditions in Ukraine…
Heated tobacco products was by far the most dynamic of the main categories within smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in North Macedonia in retail volume growth terms in 2023. While this was partly because sales are still emerging…
In 2023, the major trends in tobacco in Latvia remained consistent with previous years. Sales of regular cigarettes continued to decline, while vaping and heated tobacco products gained popularity. However, an alarming trend was the resurgence of…
Retail sales of cigarettes in Lithuania are steadily declining as consumers increasingly shift towards alternatives such as vaping and heated tobacco. This trend raises questions about whether the overall popularity of smoking is genuinely decreasing…
Total current value sales growth for tobacco in North Macedonia in 2023 was up markedly on that recorded in 2022. The improvement was primarily attributable to unit price hikes resulting from tax increases and inflationary pressures fuelled by the…
Tobacco saw double-digit current value growth in Ukraine in 2023. After marked upheavals following the outbreak of war in 2022, global tobacco players adapted to the new reality and returned to new launching new products. These launches were mostly…
Both cigars and cigarillos registered volume growth in Serbia in 2024, unlike cigarettes, which saw volume sales fall. One reason for the positive performance of cigars and cigarillos is that the price gap between cigarettes and cigars and cigarillos…
New regulations were introduced for e-vapour products in Serbia in 2023. Amendments to the Tobacco Law, effective from November 2023, established a new category for electronic cigarettes and associated products, regardless of their nicotine content.…
Though current value sales of tobacco increased in 2023, constant value sales fell, as inflation continued to be high. Volume sales also only increased marginally.
There was a slight fall in volume sales of cigarettes in Serbia in 2023. This was partly due to continuing population decline. Price hikes and tax hikes, along with high inflation, also dampened volume sales somewhat. However, smoking prevalence only…
The consumption of cigarettes is declining in Slovenia. Constant campaigns to educate consumers about the dangers of smoking are helping to drive an ongoing decline in smoking prevalence and in the actual number of smokers of cigarettes. New plain…
Cigars and cigarillos saw steady growth in current value terms in 2023 with cigars seeing the strongest growth. The premiumisation trend was behind the strong value growth seen in cigars, with some consumers seeking a high quality and luxurious…
E-vapour products and heated tobacco products were the two most dynamic areas of tobacco in Slovenia in 2023. Increasing awareness about the harmful impact of smoking cigarettes and tobacco has resulted in some consumers switching to alternatives…
The decline in sales of traditional cigarettes was noticeable across the country in 2023, driven mostly by increased health awareness and the introduction of alternative tobacco products, but also due to financial pressures. Consumers are turning…