Pakistan Background
Data sourced: 2024.   Page updated: 2025-10-30

According to the WHO data, as of 2024, there were approximately 18.3 million smokers in Pakistan. This figure represents an increase from 17.5 million smokers in 2022 and equal number of 18.3 million in 2020. The adult current smoking prevalence rate in 2024 was reported to be 11.6%, a slight decrease from 12% in 2022 and 13.1% in 2020. The current smoking prevalence among males in 2024 was 20.6%, a slight reduction from 22.7% in 2020, while among females it was 2.6% in 2023, a slight decrease from 2.7% in 2022. For reference, the adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2014 was 11.5% with 20.1% among males and only 2% among females. There were 14.5 million daily smokers in the same year.
In 2021, tobacco smoking caused 7.59% of all deaths in the country, equating to 130,593 tobacco-related fatalities, with males accounting for 106,028 deaths and females for 24,565. Despite a reduction in recent years, these prevalence and mortality statistics underscore the ongoing public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in Pakistan, informing government strategies aimed at reducing tobacco health impacts.

Prevalence

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2019 23.2 million 1A
2024 18.3 million 1B
References:
  1. (1) WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition. (2) Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Ed.). (2019). World Population Prospects 2019 (Online Edition Rev. 1.; Population Division). United Nations. https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
  2. WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2019 16.9% 1A
2020 13.1% 1B
2022 12% 1C A
2023 12.4% 1D
2024 11.6% 1E
References:
  1. WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
  2. WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
  3. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
  4. "National Tobacco Control Strategy Pakistan 2022-2030", Government of Pakistan, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination http://www.ctcpak.org/docs/Notifications/National%20Tobacco%20Control%20Strategy%202022-2030.pdf
  5. WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
Comments:
  1. Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2019 2.8% 1A
2020 3.1% 1B
2022 2.7% 1C A
2023 2.1% 1D
2024 2.6% 1E
References:
  1. WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
  2. WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
  3. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
  4. "National Tobacco Control Strategy Pakistan 2022-2030", Government of Pakistan, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination http://www.ctcpak.org/docs/Notifications/National%20Tobacco%20Control%20Strategy%202022-2030.pdf
  5. WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
Comments:
  1. Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2019 31% 1A
2020 22.7% 1B
2022 21.3% 1C A
2023 22.2% 1D
2024 20.6% 1E
References:
  1. WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
  2. WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
  3. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
  4. "National Tobacco Control Strategy Pakistan 2022-2030", Government of Pakistan, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination http://www.ctcpak.org/docs/Notifications/National%20Tobacco%20Control%20Strategy%202022-2030.pdf
  5. WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
Comments:
  1. Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
14.5 million
2 A
11.5%
2 A
2%
2 A
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier 20.6% 3A A
2018 20.1% 3B B
References:
  1. Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014. Available at:https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=1
  2. Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18; ages 15-49; national. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
Comments:
  1. In Pakistan, GATS was conducted in 2014 as a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older. A multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design was used to produce nationally representative data. There were a total of 7,831 completed individual interviews.
  2. Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
1%
2 A
References:
  1. WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
  2. Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014. Available at:https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=1
  3. Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18; ages 15-49; national. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
Comments:
  1. In Pakistan, GATS was conducted in 2014 as a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older. A multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design was used to produce nationally representative data. There were a total of 7,831 completed individual interviews.
  2. Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.

Smoking-related mortality

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 160,189 1A
2021 130,593 1B A
References:
  1. The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
  2. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 39,949 1A
2021 24,565 1B A
References:
  1. The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
  2. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 120,240 1A
2021 106,028 1B A
References:
  1. The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
  2. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 14.48% 1A
2021 7.59% 1B B
References:
  1. The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
  2. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 6.9% 1A
2021 3.25% 1B B
References:
  1. The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
  2. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 17% 1A
2021 10.97% 1B B
References:
  1. The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
  2. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
References:
  1. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
  1. Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
  2. Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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.