Tobacco smoking in Malawi

In Malawi, cigarettes are legally allowed for sale, smoke, and online purchase, under certain restrictions. Based on these regulations, an import license is required for trade, but there are currently no legal restrictions on smoking in public places. Notably, Malawi does not currently have minimum age restrictions on sales, nor does it mandate health warnings on packaging. Furthermore, there is no comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, as only certain forms of advertising are restricted. However, cigarettes are subject to a specific excise tax of 33.74%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 47.90% in Malawi.

Recent data from 2024 indicate that the current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 and older was 6% in Malawi. This figure represents a decrease from the 7.2% prevalence reported in 2020 and a further decline from the 11% recorded in 2019. The current prevalence of smoking among adult males was notably higher with 6% in 2024, which shows a decrease from 13.1% in 2020 and 18.2% in 2019. In contrast, the current smoking prevalence among adult females was significantly lower with 1% in 2024, a slight decrease from 1.6% in 2020 and 3.7% in 2019. The total number of current adult smokers in Malawi was estimated to be approximately 767,000 individuals in 2024, which shows an increase from 751,519 smokers in 2020 and and a decline from over a million smokers in 2019.

Smoking-related mortality remains a significant health concern in Malawi. 5,419 deaths were recorded in 2021, accounting for 3.13% of all deaths in the country. These data underscore the ongoing public health challenges posed by smoking in Malawi, despite noted reductions in smoking prevalence in recent years.