
In Nepal, the estimated number of tobacco smokers aged 15 years and older was approximately 3,095,366 in 2022, reflecting a noticeable decrease from previous years. In 2019, the number of smokers was recorded to be approximately 4,009,204. In 2022, the prevalence of smoking among males was 25.6%, while for females, it was 4.7%. This indicates a significant reduction from 2019, when the prevalence among males and females were 33.0% and 8.1%, respectively. The overall prevalence rate among adults in 2022 was 14.5%, down from 20.5% in 2019. The adult daily smoking prevalence in 2019 was 13.3%, with 20.7% among males and 6.7% among females.
Smoking-related mortalities constituted 11.13% of all deaths in the country in 2021, with 12.65% of deaths among males and 9.2% among females. The total number of deaths attributable to smoking in 2021 was 28,110, with gender-specific figures of 17,869 among males and 10,241 among females. These statistics underscore the ongoing challenge of addressing tobacco smoking in Nepal, highlighting the need for effective public health strategies and regulatory measures.
Prevalence
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2019 | 4.0 million | 1A |
2020 | 3.0 million | 1B |
2022 | 3.1 million | 1C A |
- 1. WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition. 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- 1. WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- 1. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%). World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2019 | 20.5% | 2A |
2020 | 14.8% | 2B |
2022 | 14.5% | 2C A |
- WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
- WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2019 | 8.1% | 2A |
2020 | 5.6% | 2B |
2022 | 4.7% | 2C A |
- WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
- WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2019 | 33% | 2A |
2020 | 26.5% | 2B |
2022 | 25.6% | 2C A |
- WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
- WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
1001 | 17.6% | 4A A |
2019 | 13.3% | 4B B |
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2017, Country profiles http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/en/
- STEPS Survey, 2019; National, ages 15-69. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
- These rates are modelled using all national survey data published since 1990 to estimate the underlying prevalence trends by sex, then applying age-standardization to allow comparison with other countries. They do not necessarily resemble country data from 2015
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
1001 | 8.3% | 4A A |
2019 | 6.7% | 4B B |
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2017, Country profiles http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/en/
- STEPS Survey, 2019; National, ages 15-69. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
- These rates are modelled using all national survey data published since 1990 to estimate the underlying prevalence trends by sex, then applying age-standardization to allow comparison with other countries. They do not necessarily resemble country data from 2015
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
1001 | 28.1% | 4A A |
2019 | 20.7% | 4B B |
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2017, Country profiles http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/en/
- STEPS Survey, 2019; National, ages 15-69. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
- These rates are modelled using all national survey data published since 1990 to estimate the underlying prevalence trends by sex, then applying age-standardization to allow comparison with other countries. They do not necessarily resemble country data from 2015
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
- 1. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2017, Country profiles http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/en/
- STEPS Survey, 2019; National, ages 15-69. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%). World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
- These rates are modelled using all national survey data published since 1990 to estimate the underlying prevalence trends by sex, then applying age-standardization to allow comparison with other countries. They do not necessarily resemble country data from 2015
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
Smoking-related mortality
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2016 | 27.1 thousand | 1A |
2021 | 28.1 thousand | 1B A |
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2016 | 12.7 thousand | 1A |
2021 | 10.2 thousand | 1B A |
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2016 | 14.5 thousand | 1A |
2021 | 17.9 thousand | 1B A |
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2016 | 14.95% | 1A |
2021 | 11.13% | 1B A |
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2016 | 14.1% | 1A |
2021 | 9.2% | 1B A |
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
---|---|---|
2016 | 15.7% | 1A |
2021 | 12.65% | 1B A |
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.