There are approximately 106,000 current smokers 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.
tobacco smoking causes 347 deaths per year in Malta.
Survey results from 2023 show that 3% of respondents in Malta reported using E-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are legally allowed 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 e-cigarettes flavour range, but their nicotine content is limited to 20 mg/ml or less. Vaping is also restricted in public places. In 2021, an estimated 3,019 individuals in Malta were current vapers. In 2023, about 3% of the adult population were current vapers (2% of females and 4% of males), while 1.6% were daily vapers (an estimated 6,024 daily vapers). As of 2017, 12% of adults stated that they had tried vaping.
In Malta, Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are banned. However, despite the ban, people still use these products. There were an estimated 753 HTP users in 2023, which shows a decrease from an estimated 6,000 HTP users in 2020. This shows that the prevalence of HTP use among adults decreased from 1.6% to 0.2% in 2023.
In Malta, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is legally allowed, including the sale and purchase of NRT products without a prescription from pharmacies. However, NRT products are not included on the country’s essential drugs list, therefore the government does not cover NRT cost.
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.
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
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October 31, 2026 by vapingpost.com
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