Top Stories from Estonia
21.6% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 246,000 current smokers in Estonia
27.1% of men are current smokers but only 16.7% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-11-05
Smoking in Estonia
There has been a steady overall downwards trend for prevalence of current smokers in the general population in Estonia since 2006. 23% of Estonians were current smokers in 2017, down significantly from 33% in 2006. The prevalence decreased every year until 2017, when it increased by 1% from the previous survey in 2014. These data come from the Eurobarometer surveys, the most recent of which was carried out in 2017. In the most recent survey a total of 27,901 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed face-to-face at home, in their mother tongue, across all 28 of the EU countries. The sample for each country is representative, however the sample sizes are relatively small (e.g. most countries had just over 1000 participants, but for Italy, Malta and Lithuania the sample was around 500). Nevertheless, the Eurobarometer surveys are useful as they have estimates for smoking prevalence collected over a number of years which can show trends, as described here.
1,333
Deaths
1,333 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in Estonia.
1.7 million €
Market size of NRT.
NRT market size is estimated to be 1.7 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Estonia
In Estonia, e-cigarettes are allowed and regulated as tobacco products. Online sales of e-cigarettes are not permitted, but they are available for purchase in general retail outlets. Health claims are not allowed, and there is a complete ban on all forms of advertising. E-cigarettes are also subject to an excise tax, which amounts to up to 10% of that levied on cigarettes. A comprehensive regulatory framework for e-cigarettes is in place, including requirements for product notifications, child-resistant and tamper-proof containers, and health warnings on packaging. Sales are restricted to individuals aged 18 years and above, and there are limits on nicotine content (a maximum of 20 mg/ml) as well as restrictions on tank size (limited to 2 ml or less). Additionally, there are flavour restrictions, and use in public places is also legally restricted.
As of 2023, Estonia recorded approximately 97,900 current vapers, with an adult current vaping prevalence of 9% and daily vaping prevalence of 4.8%. In a survey in 2017, 21% of adults stated that they had tried e-cigarette vaping. In another survey in 2017, public perception data show that 75% of respondents considered e-cigarettes to be harmful or more harmful than cigarettes, while only 11% believed they were less harmful, and 14% were unsure.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Estonia
Adult using HTP prevalence is 2%.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Estonia
Advertising of NRT is allowed.
Snus
in Estonia
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 Estonia
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.