Tobacco smoking in Mauritania

In Mauritania, smoking is allowed, but tobacco products including cigarettes are subject to specific legal control measures. Based on these regulations, a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, including cigarettes, is strictly enforced. Health warnings on their packaging are required, and smoking is restricted in public places. There is also a minimum age restriction on sales of 18 years. The total taxation rate of 17.82% with no specific excise tax is applied on cigarettes. Notably, retail sale is allowed, and products can legally be imported for trade with a license. But, the sale of cigarettes through online platforms and vending machines is prohibited.

Tobacco smoking among adults in Mauritania shows notable trends in recent years. As of 2024, the current prevalence of smoking among people aged 15 years and older was 9.2%, with a significant gender disparity. The prevalence of smoking among males was considerably higher with 17%, compared to among females with 2%. This reflects a slight increase from 2020, when the overall current prevalence was 8.8%, 16.3% among males and 1.4% among females. The number of smokers in 2024 was reported to be approximately 270,000, which shows an increase from 238,080 in 2020. For reference, the adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was 12.8%, with 23.2% among males and 3.2% among females.

Smoking-related mortalities also present critical data in Mauritania; in 2021, the annual percentage of all deaths attributable to smoking was 3.32%, with males accounting for 4.29% and females for 2.22% of deaths. The total number of deaths caused by smoking that year was 832, including 572 males and 259 females. This represents a decrease from 2016, when the total number of deaths from smoking was 932 overall. These figures underscore the persistent public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in Mauritania, necessitating continued public health interventions to reduce its health impacts.