Top Stories from Croatia
30.3% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 1.0 million current smokers in Croatia
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-11-05
Smoking in Croatia
In Croatia, the overall smoking prevalence has been going up in recent years, with 36.6% of adults being smokers, compared to 33% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 1.3 million people smoking in the country. 37.9% of men smoke and for women the figure is 35.3%.
The most recent data show there were 9,612 annual deaths attributable to tobacco smoking (approximately 3,200 women and 6,500 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 19.7% (women: 10.9%; and men: 24%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Croatia and there are 30,800 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 0.88%. There is a requirement to ensure vape packaging contains a health warning and they can only be sold to those 18 and older. Vaping devices can be purchased without a prescription but there are legal restrictions on their use in public places.
Heated tobacco products can be marketed, but the situation is a bit more complicated for snus. While it is illegal to import snus for trade or buy the product online, it is possible to import it for personal use.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can be marketed and it is legal to purchase it without a prescription. The NRT market in Croatia is worth €400,000.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
8,735
Deaths
8,735 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in Croatia.
0.4 million €
Market size of NRT.
NRT market size is estimated to be 0.4 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Croatia
E-cigarettes are legal in Croatia under specific regulations and guidelines. They are available in general retail outlets and can be purchased online, but sales through vending machines are prohibited. Regulations introduced require notifications of new products, child- and tamperproof containers, and health warnings on packaging. Sales are restricted to individuals aged 18 years and older, and there are legal restrictions on e-cigarette use in public places. While there are no restrictions on flavour range, the nicotine content must be equal to or less than 20 mg/mL, and the tank size must not exceed 2 mL. According to data from 2023, there were approximately 68,400 current vapers in Croatia, representing an adult current e-cigarette vaping prevalence of 2%. The prevalence was 1.3% among females and 0.9% among males (based on data from 2019). The adult daily vaping prevalence was 1.2% overall, with 0.5% among females and 1.1% among males. A survey conducted in 2017 on the perception of harm by e-cigarettes found that 51% of respondents in the country believed e-cigarettes are harmful or more harmful than cigarettes, 32% thought they were not harmful or less harmful, and 17% were unsure.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Croatia
Daily using HTP prevalence is at 1.4%.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Croatia
NRT is legal to market.
Snus
in Croatia
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 Croatia
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.