Tobacco smoking in Ivory Coast

Smoking is allowed and regulated in Ivory Coast. Cigarettes can be sold in person, but not through online or vending machines. The importation of cigarettes for trade is permitted with a license. Moreover, health warnings are required on cigarette packaging, the minimum legal age for purchase is 18 years. Notably, there are no legal restrictions on smoking in public places. Advertising of cigarettes is regulated which bans all forms of advertising. Cigarettes are subject to a zero specific excise value and a total taxation rate of 39.47%.

The prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older remains a significant public health concern in Ivory Coast. As of 2024, the current tobacco smoking prevalence among adults was reported to be 7.1%, with a considerable gender disparity: 12.9% of males and 1.7% of females were smokers. This represents a slight decrease from 2020 figures, when the prevalence was 9.4% overall, 18% among males, and 0.6% among females. The number of current tobacco smokers in 2024 was estimated to be 1,3 million, and in 2020 it was 1,393,511 and 1,804,938 in 2019. The adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2017 was 26.2% among males and 1.7% among females.

Tobacco smoking-related mortality remains a critical issue in Ivory Coast, with 5,409 deaths recorded in 2021, accounting for 2.59% of all deaths in the country that year. Among these, 4,399 were male deaths and 1,011 were female deaths. These data highlight the urgent need for effective strategies against smoking in Ivory Coast to reduce its prevalence as well as its associated health impacts.