Top Stories from Netherlands
19.3% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 3.0 million current smokers in Netherlands
22% of men are current smokers but only 16.7% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2026-08-07
Smoking in Netherlands
The overall smoking prevalence in the Netherlands has been decreasing since 2006. 23.4% of the adult population in the Netherlands are current smokers, down from 29% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 3.3 million smokers in the country. 25.6% of men smoke and for women the figure is 21.3%.
The most recent data show there were 29,989 annual deaths from tobacco-smoking related diseases (approximately 11,900 women and 18,100 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 21.11% (women: 16.1%; and men: 24.4%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in the Netherlands and there are 146,900 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 1.01%. There is a requirement to ensure vape packaging contains a health warning, and they can only be sold to those 18 and older. Vaping devices can be purchased without a prescription but there are legal restrictions on their use in public places.
Heated tobacco products are allowed and can be marketed but the situation is a bit more complicated for snus. While it is illegal to import snus for trade or buy the product online, it is possible to import it for personal use.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can be marketed and it is available to buy in pharmacies without a prescription. The NRT market in the Netherlands is worth €20.6 million.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
21,306
Deaths
In Netherlands, 21,306 people die each year due to tobacco smoking.
20.6 million €
Market size of NRT.
NRT market size is estimated to be 20.6 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Netherlands
In the Netherlands, e-cigarettes are legal under a specific regulatory framework. Based on that, their sale and use are allowed, but online retail of vaping products is prohibited. Health-related claims about e-cigarettes are not allowed but they remain available through general retail outlets. No excise duty is applied to these products. Regulations require notification of new products before they are introduced into the market, along with child-resistant and tamperproof packaging. Health warnings must appear on all packaging, and sales are limited to adults aged 18 and above. Additionally, the maximum nicotine concentration permitted in e-liquids is 20 mg/ml, and tank capacity must not exceed 2 ml. The use of e-cigarettes in public places is restricted, and there are also limitations on flavour ranges. Statistics show that as of 2023, there were around 288,200 current vapers in the Netherlands and the adult current e-cigarette vaping prevalence was estimated to be 2%. The adult daily e-cigarette vaping prevalence was 1.5%. In 2017, 15% of adults said they had tried an e-cigarette at least once. Perception surveys from 2017 indicate that most adults (85%) believed e-cigarettes are as harmful or more harmful than traditional cigarettes, while 7% viewed them as less harmful, and 8% said that they did not know.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Netherlands
Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are categorised and regulated as tobacco products in Netherlands and are allowed for sale and use. However, their sales through online channels is not allowed. These products are available in general retail stores. The law does not allow health benefit claims about these products and require manufacturers to put health warning on their packaging. There are also restrictions on their flavours.
Data show that the number of HTPs users in Netherlands decreased from an estimated 85,000 adult people in 2020 to 57,648 adult individuals in 2023. This shows that the prevalence of HTP use decreased from 0.6% in 2020 to 0.4% in 2023. In contrast, daily use prevalence of HTP increased from 0.2% in 2020 to 0.4% in 2023. In a survey in 2023, 2.5 of the participants stated that they had ever tried using HTP.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Netherlands
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is allowed in Netherlands. This includes the sale and purchase of NRT products without a prescription from pharmacies. NRT products are included on the country’s essential drugs list, and the government partially covers NRT cost. The market size of NRT products in Netherlands was estimated to be 20.6 million € in 2019.
Snus
in Netherlands
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 Netherlands
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.