Top Stories from Democratic Republic of the Congo
8.9% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 5.1 million current smokers in Democratic Republic of Congo
16.3% of men are current smokers but only 1.7% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-12-11
Smoking in Democratic Republic of Congo
15,232
Deaths
15,232 people in Democratic Republic of Congo die from tobacco smoking-related diseases each year.
8.9%
tobacco smoking
According to data from 2024, the prevalence of Cigarettes use in Democratic Republic of Congo was 8.9%.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Democratic Republic of Congo
There is no specific law regarding e-cigarettes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). If you have any updates regarding regulations on vaping and e-cigarette sales, purchase, use, marketing, and advertisement, or whether they can be brought into the country for personal use, please email the GSTHR team.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo deos not have any specific laws regarding Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs), including their sale, purchase, or importation for personal use. If you have any relevant and accurate information, kindly share it with the GSTHR team.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Democratic Republic of Congo
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is banned by law in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although its products are regulated as medicinal products and included on the country's essential drugs list. Therefore, it is illegal to sell NRT products. The fact that NRTs are on the country's essential drugs list, implies that these products are only available in pharmacies and can be purchased with prescriptions. It is not clear whether these products can be imported for personal use, so it is advised to keep the prescription or purchase documents with you.
Snus
in Democratic Republic of Congo
There are no online sources providing information about specific regulations regarding snus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including its import, sale, purchase, and use. If you have any relevant or firsthand information, please share it with the GSTHR team.
Pouches
in Democratic Republic of Congo
There are no available sources indicating specific laws regarding nicotine pouches in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including their sale, purchase, use, or import for personal use. If you have relevant or firsthand information, please share it with the GSTHR team.
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.