Top Stories from Malta
22.9% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 106,000 current smokers in Malta
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-12-11
Smoking in Malta
The prevalence of current smokers in the general population in Malta has fluctuated but the trend has been slightly downwards since 2006. 24% of the population in Malta were current smokers in 2017, slightly down from 25% in 2006. The trend was upwards between 2006 and 2012 (27%); it then reduced to 20% in 2014 and then went up again to 24% in the most recent survey in 2017. 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.
347
Deaths
347 people in Malta die from tobacco smoking-related diseases each year.
3%
e-cigarette vaping
Survey results from 2023 show that 3% of respondents in Malta reported using E-cigarettes.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Malta
E-cigarettes are legal in Malta. Advertising of vaping products is regulated, and consumers are allowed to buy them online. These products must be notified before being placed on the market, use child-resistant and tamperproof packaging, and carry health warnings. Sales are restricted to those aged 18 and above. There are no restrictions on flavour range, but nicotine content is limited to 20 mg/ml or less, and tank sizes are specified. The use of e-cigarettes is also restricted in public places. Data show that in 2023, an estimated 11,300 individuals in Malta were current vapers. About 3% of the adult population were current vapers, while 1.6% were daily vapers. As of 2017, 12% of adults stated that they had tried vaping.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Malta
Heated tobacco products are classified by manufacturers as smokeless tobacco products, and they are therefore subject to Legal Notice 67 in Malta which bans the import, manufacture, or sale of any smokeless tobacco product.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Malta
NRT are available in Pharmacy.
Snus
in Malta
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 Malta
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.