Top Stories from Ireland
17% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 730,000 current smokers in Ireland
20% of men are current smokers but only 14.6% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2026-05-26
Smoking in Ireland
18% of the population are current smokers, with 14% daily smokers and 4% occasional smokers. These figures are the same as those reported in 2021-2022.
Smoking is higher amongst men (21%) than women (15%) and higher amongst those who are unemployed or have not completed the Leaving Certificate.
33% of the population are ex-smokers. 49% of those who have smoked in the past year have attempted to quit smoking, with 23% of this group successfully quitting smoking. 58% used willpower alone, 25% used e-cigarettes, and 19% used nicotine replacement therapy.
8% of the population currently use e-cigarettes either daily (5%) or occasionally (3%), with a further 12% reporting they have tried them in the past but no longer use them. In 2022, 6% were current users of e-cigarettes.
A fifth (20%) of women aged 15-24 use e-cigarettes either daily or occasionally; the rate for men of the same age group is 16%.
Source: Healthy Ireland Survey 2023. (2023, November 22). Department of Health. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/73c9d-healthy-ireland-survey-2023/#smoking
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
3,836
Deaths
3,836 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in Ireland.
27.1 million €
Market size of NRT.
Estimated NRT market size is 27.1 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Ireland
In Ireland, e-cigarettes are legally allowed, including purchase through online channels and vending machines. They are also available in general retail outlets. The law mandates notification for new e-cigarette products and requires them to be sold in child-resistant and tamper-proof containers. Health warnings on packaging are mandatory, and the minimum legal age for purchase is 18 years. Notably, there are no restrictions on product flavours. However, there are limits on nicotine content, which must be equal to or less than 20 mg/ml. Restrictions also apply to their use in public places, and tank sizes must not exceed 2 ml. There is no excise tax on e-cigarettes in Ireland.
In a survey conducted in 2017, 14% of respondents stated that they had no idea whether vaping is harmful to health, 27% believed that vaping is not harmful or is less harmful than cigarettes, and 59% responded that vaping is harmful to health or more harmful than cigarettes.
In terms of prevalence, there were an estimated 265,457 current vapers in 2021. As of 2025, adult current e-cigarette use prevalence was 8%. In 2024, 11.1% of adult females and 11.3% of adult males reported being current e-cigarette users. The adult daily e-cigarette vaping prevalence was 5% in 2023, and in the same year, 20% of respondents stated that they had ever tried e-cigarettes.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Ireland
Heated tobacco products must comply with existing tobacco control legislation in Ireland. In 2023, 1.2% of the population in Ireland used HTP, reflecting the popularity of this product type. 0.5% is the estimated prevalence of daily using HTP. 2.2% of the population have ever tried using HTP.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Ireland
In Ireland, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is legally allowed. This includes the sale and purchase of NRT products without a prescription from general stores. NRT products are included on the country’s essential drugs list, and the government partially covers NRT cost. The estimated market size of NRT products in Ireland was 27.1 million € in 2019.
Snus
in Ireland
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 Ireland
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.