Top Stories from Hungary
28.1% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 2.3 million current smokers in Hungary
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2026-08-10
Smoking in Hungary
There has been an overall downwards trend for prevalence of current smokers in the general population in Hungary since 2006. 27% of Hungarians were current smokers in 2017, down from 36% in 2006. Smoking prevalence reduced steadily during the period, with the exception of 2006-2009 where there was a 2% increase. These data come from the Eurobarometer surveys, the most recent of which was carried out in 2017. In the most recent survey a total of 27,901 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed face-to-face at home, in their mother tongue, across all 28 of the EU countries. The sample for each country is representative, however the sample sizes are relatively small (e.g. most countries had just over 1000 participants, but for Italy, Malta and Lithuania the sample was around 500). Nevertheless, the Eurobarometer surveys are useful as they have estimates for smoking prevalence collected over a number of years which can show trends, as described here.
17,003
Deaths
In Hungary, tobacco smoking leads to 17,003 deaths annually.
3.3 million €
Market size of NRT.
The estimated size of the NRT market is 3.3 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Hungary
Vaping and e-cigarettes are legally allowed in Hungary, including their importation, sale, and purchase. However, the online purchase of e-cigarettes is prohibited.
The current vaping prevalence in Hungary was estimated at 1% in 2023 and there were an estimated 31,161 vapers in 2021. The current vaping prevalence was 2% in 2023 among both females and males. The adult daily vaping prevalence was 0.7% in 2023, representing an estimated 56,748 daily vapers.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Hungary
In Hungary, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is legally allowed, including the sale and purchase of its products without a prescription. NRT products can be found in pharmacies. However, they are not included on the country’s essential drugs list, and the government does not cover the cost of NRT. Its market size value in the country was estimated to be €3.3 million in 2019.
Snus
in Hungary
Used in Scandinavia for more than 200 years, snus is providing smokers in Sweden and Norway with an alternative to combustible cigarettes. Find out what it is, and why it is considered a safer nicotine product in our briefing paper.
Pouches
in Hungary
Nicotine pouches are a relatively new product which can provide users of high-risk tobacco with an alternative that poses fewer risks to their health. Read more about nicotine pouches in our briefing paper
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team.
However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice.
We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product
categories can change at short notice and with little publicity.
If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region,
you should verify the information independently.
If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details
and any references and we will rectify any errors.