Top Stories from Sri Lanka
8.5% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 1.4 million current smokers in Sri Lanka
17.7% of men are current smokers but only 0.2% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-04-24
Smoking in Sri Lanka
There has been a gradual downwards trend in current smoking prevalence in the general population in Sri Lanka. Smoking prevalence was 16% overall in 2000 and declined to 13.5% in 2015, with a further drop to 12% projected by 2025. For men, the prevalence decreased from 31% in 2000 to just over 28% in 2015, with a further decrease to 26% projected by 2025. For women, prevalence was very low at 1.6% in 2000; this decreased to 0.3% in 2015 and is projected to decrease further to 0.1% by 2025. The WHO published prevalence trend estimates in tobacco smoking, as shown here, in their 2018 2nd edition report, which show slightly different smoking prevalence to the WHO country profiles. Data for the estimates are not age standardised, and were obtained from WHO databases. The trend lines are projections, not predictions, of future attainment. A projection indicates a likely endpoint if the country maintains its tobacco control efforts at the same level that it has implemented them to date. Therefore the impact of recent interventions could alter the expected endpoint shown in the projection. While the methods of estimation used in the first and second editions of the WHO report are the same, the volume of data available for the second edition is larger i.e. 200 more national surveys. The results presented are therefore more robust.
11,935
Deaths
11935 people in Sri Lanka die from tobacco smoking-related diseases each year.
8.5%
tobacco smoking
Adult tobacco smoking prevalence is 8.5%.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has a restrictive regulatory stance on e-cigarettes and vaping products, imposing a ban on these items. Under these regulations, vaping products are classified as tobacco products, and the sale, use, advertising, importation (for both personal use and trade), as well as online purchases of these items and nicotine, are prohibited in the country. These regulations prevent many smokers from accessing less harmful alternatives when they are unable to quit smoking, thereby increasing their risk of smoking-related diseases. In Sri Lanka is illegal to sell E-cigarettes devices.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Sri Lanka
Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are banned by law in Sri Lanka, prohibiting their manufacture, import, and sale. These regulations are for tobacco products in general and may apply to HTPs as they are regulated under tobacco products: Health warnings on packaging are required, their marketing and advertisement are banned, and they cannot be used in public places. The minimum age for the sale of tobacco products is 21 years.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Sri Lanka
You can't advertise NRT in Sri Lanka.
Snus
in Sri Lanka
There are no online sources indicating specific regulations regarding Snus in Sri Lanka, including its import, sale, purchase, and use. If you have any relevant or firsthand information, please share it with the GSTHR team.
Pouches
in Sri Lanka
Available sources do not indicate any specific laws regarding nicotine pouches in Sri Lanka, including their sale, purchase, use, or import for personal use. If you have any 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.