Top Stories from Portugal
23.4% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 2.1 million current smokers in Portugal
30.8% of men are current smokers but only 16.7% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2026-08-07
Smoking in Portugal
In Portugal, the overall smoking prevalence has been increasing since 2006. There are approximately 2.5 million people smoking in the country. 27.9% of the adult population are current smokers, up from 24% in 2006. 33.3% of men smoke whilst 22.4% of women are current smokers.
The most recent data show there were 11,900 annual deaths attributable to tobacco smoking (approximately 2,600 women and 9,300 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 13.85% (women: 4.7%; and men: 16.4%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Portugal and there are 8,300 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 0.09%. Vaping devices can only be sold to those 18 and older, packaging must contain a health warning and there are restrictions on the level of nicotine they can contain. Vaping devices can be purchased without a prescription but there are legal restrictions on their use in public places.
Heated tobacco products are legal and can be marketed, but the situation is a bit more complicated for snus. While it is illegal to import snus for trade or buy the product online, it is possible to import it for personal use.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) cannot be marketed but the NRT market in Portugal is worth €8.7 million.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
8,087
Deaths
Each year, 8,087 deaths in Portugal are attributed to tobacco smoking.
8.7 million €
Market size of NRT.
The estimated size of the NRT market is 8.7 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Portugal
E-cigarettes are allowed in Portugal and can be purchased in general retail outlets, though online and vending machine sales are not allowed. Health-related claims are prohibited, and advertising is banned. Manufacturers must notify authorities of new products before introducing them into the market, and all e-liquids must be sold in child-resistant and tamperproof packaging. Health warnings are required on product labels, and the sale of e-cigarettes is restricted to adults aged 18 years old and older. There are no legal restrictions on public vaping, though flavour bans are in place. Nicotine concentrations cannot exceed 20 mg/mL, and refillable tanks are limited to 2 mL.
As of 2021, around 8,300 people in Portugal were estimated to be current vapers and the adult current vaping prevalence was 0.09%. In 2017, about 8% of adults reported having tried vaping at least once. Public perceptions of harm in 2017 showed that 58% of respondents believed vaping is as or more harmful than smoking, 26% viewed it as less harmful, and 16% were not sure to answer the question.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Portugal
In Portugal, Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are regulated as tobacco products and are allowed for sale and use excluding sales through online channels. These products are available in general retail stores. The law does not allow health benefit claims about these products and requires manufacturers to place health warning on their packaging. There are also restrictions on their flavours.
Available data show a remarkable increase of HTP users over recent year in Portugal. The number of HTPs users in Portugal increased from an estimated 88,000 adult people in 2020 to an estimated 446,000 adult individuals in 2023. This represents that the prevalence of HTP use increased from 1.0% in 2020 to 5.1% in 2023. Likewise, daily use prevalence of HTP among adults increased from 0.8% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2023.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Portugal
In Portugal, 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. The market size of NRT products in Portugal was estimated to be 8.7 million € in 2019.
Snus
in Portugal
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 Portugal
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.