The overall smoking prevalence in Belgium has decreased a small amount since 2006. 25% of the adult population in Belgium are current smokers, down from 26% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 2.4 million smokers in the country. 26.9% of men smoke and for women the figure is 23.1%.
The most recent data show there were 18,736 annual deaths from tobacco-smoking related diseases (approximately 5,500 women and 13,200 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 19.56% (women: 9.6%; and men: 23.7%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Belgium and there are 305,200 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 3.16%. 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.
There is no specific law on heated tobacco products and the situation is quite 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 Belgium is worth €18.7 million.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
12,474
Deaths
12,474 people in Belgium die from tobacco smoking-related diseases each year.
18.7 million €
Market size of NRT.
Estimated NRT market size is 18.7 million €.
