Top Stories from Nepal
14.5% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 3.1 million current smokers in Nepal
25.6% of men are current smokers but only 4.7% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-02-10
Smoking in Nepal
There has been a downwards trend in current smoking prevalence in the general population in Nepal. Smoking prevalence was 34% overall in 2000 and declined to 22% in 2015, with a further drop to 18% projected by 2025. For men the prevalence decreased from 41% in 2000 to 35.5% in 2015, with a further decrease to 33% projected by 2025. Women’s prevalence was 28% in 2000; this decreased to around 9% in 2015, and is projected to decrease further to around 4.5% 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.
28,110
Deaths
28110 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in Nepal.
14.5%
tobacco smoking
Adult tobacco smoking prevalence is 14.5%.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Nepal
In Nepal the Tobacco Product Control and Regulatory Directive of 2014 bans the sale, advertising, promotion and sponsorship, importation, manufacture, distribution, and use of e-cigarettes in public places and on public transportation.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Nepal
Heated tobacco products are regulated as tobacco products by the Tobacco Product (Control and Regulation) Act, 2010. This law prohibits advertising, promotion, sponsorship and use of heated tobacco products in public places. The law also requires warning messages depicting harmful effects of tobacco products to be placed on packaging.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Nepal
You can't advertise NRT in Nepal.
Snus
in Nepal
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 Nepal
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.