Countries where people smoke the most – Tobacco is the common name of several plants under the Nicotiana genus and is also the general term for any product made using cured tobacco leaves, such as cigarettes and cigars. Tobacco products are addictive and can be challenging to quit using due to the presence of the stimulant nicotine in the tobacco leaves.
This post is to let you know the countries that smokes the most, but before that, let’s take a look at some of the health risks associated with smoking.
What are the Health risks caused by tobacco usage and smoking?
Smoking causes disease and incapacity, as well as injury to practically every organ in the body.
More than 16 million Americans suffer from a smoking-related ailment. For every person who dies as a result of smoking, at least 30 others suffer from a significant smoking-related ailment. Tobacco smoking is linked to cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also raises the risk of TB, some eye illnesses, and immune system problems such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
Smoking rates around the world
Overall, the highest smoking rates are found in Southeast Asia and the Balkan region of Europe. Western European countries and the Americas tend to have lower smoking rates, However, this is not always guaranteed, as Chile turns out to have one of the highest smoking rates in the world. Of the top five countries with the highest smoking rates in the world in 2018, three are in the Pacific Islands, one is in Southeast Asia, and one is in South America.
Smoking rates have reduced globally as a result of increasing education about the dangers of tobacco and anti-tobacco activities. The smoking rate in the United Kingdom was 38% in 2000. Since then, it has plummeted to 19.2%.
Nauru has the world’s highest smoking rate of 52.1%. In Nauru, women smoke somewhat more than males (52.6% vs. 51.7%), which is quite unusual. Kiribati has the second-highest rate (52.0%), with 68.6% of males and 35.5% of females, which is a more usual ratio.
In the United States, the legal smoking age is 21 years old. In December 2019, the smoking age was raised from 18 to 21. Smoking rates differ by state, with West Virginia having the greatest prevalence of smokers and Utah having the lowest.
Which Countries That Smoke The Most?
Here are the 10 countries with the highest smoking rates:
- Nauru – 52.10%
- Kiribati – 52.00%
- Tuvalu – 48.70%
- Myanmar – 45.50%
- Chile – 44.70%
- Lebanon – 42.60%
- Serbia – 40.60%
- Bangladesh – 39.10%
- Greece – 39.10%
- Bulgaria – 38.90%
Smoking Rates by Country 2023
| Country | Total Smoking Rate | Male Smoking Rate | Female Smoking Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nauru | 52.10% | 51.70% | 52.60% |
| Kiribati | 52.00% | 68.60% | 35.50% |
| Tuvalu | 48.70% | 66.00% | 31.40% |
| Myanmar | 45.50% | 70.20% | 20.80% |
| Chile | 44.70% | 49.20% | 40.30% |
| Lebanon | 42.60% | 49.40% | 35.90% |
| Serbia | 40.60% | 40.00% | 41.20% |
| Bangladesh | 39.10% | 60.60% | 17.70% |
| Greece | 39.10% | 45.30% | 32.80% |
| Bulgaria | 38.90% | 42.50% | 35.30% |
| Bosnia And Herzegovina | 38.30% | 46.30% | 30.20% |
| Timor Leste | 38.20% | 65.80% | 10.70% |
| Indonesia | 37.90% | 70.50% | 5.30% |
| Solomon Islands | 37.90% | 55.90% | 19.90% |
| Laos | 37.80% | 60.10% | 15.50% |
| Latvia | 36.70% | 49.50% | 24.00% |
| Cyprus | 36.70% | 50.10% | 23.30% |
| Croatia | 36.60% | 37.90% | 35.30% |
| France | 34.60% | 36.00% | 33.20% |
| Andorra | 33.80% | 38.10% | 29.50% |
| Slovakia | 32.30% | 38.60% | 26.00% |
| Nepal | 31.90% | 48.60% | 15.30% |
| South Africa | 31.40% | 46.80% | 16.00% |
| Hungary | 30.60% | 34.80% | 26.40% |
| Estonia | 30.50% | 36.90% | 24.10% |
| Tonga | 30.20% | 48.40% | 12.10% |
| Georgia | 29.70% | 54.20% | 5.20% |
| Lesotho | 29.70% | 54.70% | 4.60% |
| Turkey | 29.30% | 41.50% | 17.00% |
| Albania | 29.20% | 50.50% | 7.90% |
| Austria | 29.10% | 30.40% | 27.70% |
| Madagascar | 28.90% | 46.90% | 11.00% |
| Samoa | 28.90% | 40.80% | 16.90% |
| Russia | 28.30% | 40.90% | 15.70% |
| Germany | 28.00% | 29.90% | 26.00% |
| Spain | 27.90% | 29.10% | 26.70% |
| Portugal | 27.90% | 33.30% | 22.40% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 27.90% | 52.50% | 3.40% |
| Mongolia | 27.60% | 49.10% | 6.20% |
| Cuba | 27.10% | 39.70% | 14.50% |
| Lithuania | 27.10% | 35.30% | 19.00% |
| India | 27.00% | 42.00% | 12.10% |
| Mauritius | 26.90% | 48.30% | 5.40% |
| Armenia | 26.70% | 51.80% | 1.60% |
| Fiji | 26.70% | 42.30% | 11.10% |
| Belarus | 26.60% | 42.80% | 10.40% |
| Cook Islands | 26.60% | 31.30% | 21.80% |
| Poland | 26.00% | 30.30% | 21.60% |
| Tunisia | 26.00% | 49.10% | 2.90% |
| Ukraine | 25.50% | 41.00% | 9.90% |
| Romania | 25.50% | 35.20% | 15.80% |
| Israel | 25.50% | 35.20% | 15.80% |
| Moldova | 25.30% | 44.60% | 6.00% |
| United States | 25.10% | 30.90% | 19.30% |
| Switzerland | 25.10% | 27.80% | 22.50% |
| Bahrain | 25.10% | 41.50% | 8.60% |
| Malta | 25.10% | 27.80% | 22.50% |
| Belgium | 25.00% | 26.90% | 23.10% |
| China | 24.70% | 47.70% | 1.80% |
| Kazakhstan | 24.40% | 42.20% | 6.60% |
| Philippines | 24.30% | 41.60% | 7.00% |
| Vanuatu | 24.10% | 45.00% | 3.30% |
| Botswana | 23.70% | 37.30% | 10.10% |
| Palau | 23.70% | 36.30% | 11.20% |
| Ireland | 23.60% | 26.10% | 21.20% |
| Italy | 23.40% | 27.10% | 19.60% |
| Netherlands | 23.40% | 25.60% | 21.30% |
| Sri Lanka | 22.90% | 43.20% | 2.70% |
| Thailand | 22.80% | 42.50% | 3.10% |
| Slovenia | 22.70% | 25.10% | 20.30% |
| Iraq | 22.20% | 40.80% | 3.60% |
| Kuwait | 22.10% | 40.90% | 3.40% |
| South Korea | 22.00% | 38.20% | 5.90% |
| Japan | 21.90% | 33.20% | 10.50% |
| Argentina | 21.80% | 28.20% | 15.40% |
| Malaysia | 21.80% | 42.70% | 1.00% |
| Cambodia | 21.80% | 37.40% | 6.30% |
| Uruguay | 21.80% | 25.20% | 18.40% |
| Luxembourg | 21.70% | 23.60% | 19.80% |
| Egypt | 21.40% | 42.30% | 0.40% |
| Seychelles | 21.10% | 35.30% | 6.90% |
| Yemen | 20.90% | 32.50% | 9.30% |
| Pakistan | 20.00% | 33.60% | 6.40% |
| Sierra Leone | 19.80% | 31.00% | 8.50% |
| Finland | 19.70% | 21.00% | 18.30% |
| Azerbaijan | 19.60% | 39.00% | 0.20% |
| Comoros | 19.50% | 29.90% | 9.20% |
| United Kingdom | 19.20% | 21.10% | 17.30% |
| Algeria | 18.80% | 36.30% | 1.40% |
| North Korea | 18.80% | 37.50% | 0.00% |
| Denmark | 18.60% | 18.40% | 18.70% |
| United Arab Emirates | 18.20% | 35.60% | 0.80% |
| Namibia | 17.90% | 28.40% | 7.40% |
| Canada | 17.50% | 22.70% | 12.40% |
| Saudi Arabia | 16.60% | 31.20% | 2.00% |
| Brazil | 16.50% | 21.50% | 11.50% |
| Singapore | 16.50% | 27.80% | 5.10% |
| Australia | 16.20% | 18.70% | 13.60% |
| Republic Of The Congo | 16.10% | 30.10% | 2.00% |
| Burkina Faso | 16.00% | 24.90% | 7.20% |
| Brunei | 15.50% | 28.60% | 2.50% |
| New Zealand | 14.80% | 16.10% | 13.50% |
| Morocco | 14.70% | 28.60% | 0.90% |
| Zambia | 14.70% | 25.00% | 4.40% |
| Mozambique | 14.40% | 23.40% | 5.40% |
| Gambia | 14.40% | 27.30% | 1.50% |
| Iran | 14.00% | 24.60% | 3.50% |
| Qatar | 14.00% | 26.70% | 1.30% |
| Mexico | 13.90% | 21.20% | 6.50% |
| Zimbabwe | 13.90% | 26.50% | 1.30% |
| Iceland | 13.80% | 13.90% | 13.70% |
| Tanzania | 13.30% | 23.50% | 3.10% |
| Rwanda | 13.30% | 19.70% | 6.90% |
| Ivory Coast | 13.00% | 24.30% | 1.60% |
| Norway | 13.00% | 15.50% | 10.50% |
| Malawi | 12.80% | 20.40% | 5.20% |
| Paraguay | 12.80% | 20.80% | 4.70% |
| El Salvador | 12.70% | 22.80% | 2.50% |
| Burundi | 12.60% | 18.80% | 6.40% |
| Uzbekistan | 12.30% | 23.30% | 1.30% |
| Guyana | 12.20% | 22.10% | 2.20% |
| Mali | 12.00% | 22.40% | 1.70% |
| Kenya | 11.80% | 20.80% | 2.80% |
| Chad | 11.80% | 21.30% | 2.30% |
| Jamaica | 11.00% | 17.70% | 4.20% |
| Bahamas | 10.90% | 18.60% | 3.20% |
| Eswatini | 10.70% | 19.10% | 2.20% |
| Uganda | 9.80% | 15.50% | 4.00% |
| Costa Rica | 9.80% | 14.70% | 5.00% |
| Peru | 9.60% | 15.60% | 3.60% |
| Oman | 9.60% | 18.50% | 0.70% |
| Dominican Republic | 9.40% | 11.20% | 7.50% |
| Cameroon | 9.30% | 17.50% | 1.20% |
| Senegal | 9.10% | 17.40% | 0.70% |
| Barbados | 8.70% | 15.00% | 2.30% |
| Niger | 8.60% | 16.30% | 0.80% |
| Liberia | 8.40% | 15.10% | 1.80% |
| Haiti | 8.30% | 13.30% | 3.30% |
| Sweden | 8.00% | 6.00% | 8.00% |
| Colombia | 7.90% | 12.20% | 3.70% |
| Togo | 7.60% | 13.50% | 1.60% |
| Benin | 7.20% | 12.40% | 1.90% |
| Eritrea | 7.20% | 14.20% | 0.30% |
| Panama | 6.90% | 11.10% | 2.70% |
| Sao Tome And Principe | 5.40% | 9.50% | 1.40% |
| Nigeria | 4.80% | 9.00% | 0.50% |
| Ethiopia | 4.60% | 8.30% | 0.90% |
| Ghana | 3.70% | 7.00% | 0.40% |
