In Gabon, smoking is legally permitted, but regulations exist for tobacco products, including cigarettes. Under these regulations, tobacco advertising is strictly controlled, with a total ban on all forms of promotion. Cigarette sales are allowed and products may be purchased from vending machines, but not online. Cigarettes can also be imported for trade with the appropriate license. Additionally, health warnings are required on cigarette packaging, there is a minimum legal sales age of 18 years, and smoking is prohibited in public indoor spaces such as healthcare and educational facilities. A specific excise tax of 15.00%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 38.65%, is applied to cigarettes. Despite a recent decline in the impact of tobacco smoking in Gabon, data on prevalence and smoking-related deaths indicate that it remains a significant public health concern.
The number of deaths due to smoking in Gabon was reported to be 501 in 2021. This figure includes 77 deaths among females and 423 among males. Mortality due to tobacco smoking accounted for 3.22% of all deaths in Gabon in 2021, with 1.16% among females and 4.77% among males. This shows a slight decrease over recent years as the total number of smoking-related deaths in 2016 was reported to be 569. The percentage of all deaths attributable to smoking was slightly higher in 2016 with 4.56% overall, 5.4% male deaths and 2.8% female deaths.
In terms of prevalence, the total number of current smokers among adults aged 15 years and older in Gabon was 177,000 individuals in 2024 representing a current smoking prevalence of 11.2% overall, 2.4% among females and 19.6% among males. For reference, the adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was 22.4% among males and 3.4% among females. These statistics underscore the ongoing burden of tobacco smoking in Gabon, particularly among males, and highlight the importance of continuing public health interventions to address this issue.
Prevalence
- WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2017, Country profiles http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/en/
- Age range differs from most WHO age standardised estimates. Source: Demographic and Health Survey, 2012; National, ages 15-59. All 'current' tobacco use reported in lieu of daily tobacco smoking data. �
Smoking-related mortality
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 569 | 1A |
| 2021 | 501 | 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 | 183 | 1A |
| 2021 | 77 | 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 | 386 | 1A |
| 2021 | 423 | 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 | 4.56% | 1A |
| 2021 | 3.22% | 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 | 2.8% | 1A |
| 2021 | 1.16% | 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 | 5.4% | 1A |
| 2021 | 4.77% | 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.
Product promotion
- WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gab.pdf?sfvrsn=e9b2d0e9_3&download=true. Accessed: 26 November 2025.
Regulation
- WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gab.pdf?sfvrsn=e9b2d0e9_3&download=true. Accessed: 26 November 2025.
- There are certain restrictions in place.
Availability
- WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gab.pdf?sfvrsn=e9b2d0e9_3&download=true. Accessed: 26 November 2025.
- World Integrated Trade Solution. World Bank. Cigarettes containing tobacco imports by country in 2023. Available at: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ALL/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/WLD/product/240220. Accessed: 27 November 2025.
- There are certain restrictions in place.
- An import license is required.
Regulations and restrictions
- WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gab.pdf?sfvrsn=e9b2d0e9_3&download=true. Accessed: 26 November 2025.
Tax
- WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gab.pdf?sfvrsn=e9b2d0e9_3&download=true. Accessed: 26 November 2025.
- 0.15
- Total taxation rate: 38.65%