Tobacco smoking in Mozambique

In Mozambique, cigarettes are legally allowed for sale, smoke, and online purchase, under certain restrictions. Based on these regulations, an import license is required for trade, and specific prohibitions are in place regarding smoking in public places, including healthcare and educational facilities. While the minimum age for sale is set at 18 years, the country does not currently require health warnings on packaging. Furthermore, only certain forms of tobacco advertising are restricted and there is no comprehensive ban on advertising. Cigarettes are subject to an excise tax of 9.33%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 23.86% in Mozambique.

Available data highlight significant smoking prevalence and its associated health impacts in Mozambique. The Global Burden of Disease report for 2021 indicates that there were 7,363 deaths attributable to tobacco smoking. This figure represents 2.4% of all deaths in the country. Gender-specific data show that 6,111 of these deaths were among males, accounting for 3.62% of all male deaths, while 1,252 deaths were among females, making up 0.91% of all female deaths in the country.

Current smoking prevalence among adults in Mozambique in 2024 was reported to be 7%. This prevalence was significantly higher among males (13)% compared to 1.6% among females. This prevalence shows a declining trend from 2019 when the overall prevalence was 13.9%, with 23.9% among males and 3.9% among females. The number of current smokers in 2024 was estimated to be approximately 1.3 million, down from 2,268,470 in 2019. The adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was reported to be 13.2%, with 23.5% among males and 3.7% among females. These figures underscore the ongoing public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in Mozambique, despite a slight reduction in prevalence and mortality over recent years.