Tobacco smoking in Guinea-Bissau

In Guinea-Bissau, cigarettes are legally allowed for sale and smoke, but there are some restrictions in place. The regulatory framework requires health warnings on all cigarette packaging and enforces a minimum sales age of 18 years, but there are no legal restrictions on smoking in public places. The product can be legally imported for trade with an appropriate license and purchased through online channels or vending machines. Also, there is no comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising. Cigarettes in Guinea-Bissau are not subject to an excise tax, but a total taxation rate of 5.73% is applied on them.

In Guinea-Bissau, the current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older was estimated to be 7.4% in 2024, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This corresponds to 96,000 adult individuals. This prevalence rate indicates a slight decrease from 7.9% recorded in 2020. The data also indicate that 0.3% of females and 14.7% of males were current smokers as of 2024, highlighting a significant gender disparity in smoking habits.

Smoking-related mortality data show that 371 deaths occured due to smoking in 2021, accounting for 2.02% of all deaths in the country. 296 of these deaths were recorded among males and 75 deaths were reported among females. This represents that smoking-related deaths constituted 2.88% of all male deaths and 0.92% of all female deaths in 2021. These statistics illustrate the ongoing public health challenges posed by tobacco smoking in Guinea-Bissau, necessitating continued efforts in reducing its health impacts.