27% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 1.2 million current smokers in Slovakia
35.4% of men are current smokers but only 25.4% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2024.
Page updated:
2025-01-07
Smoking in Slovakia
The overall smoking prevalence in Slovakia has increased since 2006. 32.3% of the adult population in Slovakia are current smokers, up from 25% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 1.5 million smokers in the country. 38.6% of men smoke and for women the figure is 26%.
The most recent data show there were 8,099 annual deaths from tobacco-smoking related diseases (approximately 2,000 women and 6,100 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 18.47% (women: 7.6%; and men: 22.1%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Slovakia and there are 61,700 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 1.34%. There is a requirement to ensure vape packaging contains a health warning, and they can only be sold to those 18 and older. Vaping devices can be purchased without a prescription but there are legal restrictions on their use in public places.
Heated tobacco products 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) can be marketed and it is available to buy in pharmacies without a prescription. The NRT market in Slovakia is worth €400,000.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
7,021
Deaths
7021 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in Slovakia.
0.4 million €
Market size of NRT.
NRT market size is estimated to be 0.4 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Slovakia
Slovakia abides by the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) (2014). E-cigarettes are classified as tobacco products and are regulated by the Act of 25th November 2015 (No. 89/2016) on the Manufacture and Labelling of Tobacco Products and Related Products. Vaping is prohibited wherever smoking is not allowed. As of March 2016, importation of e-cigarette products is allowed according to an instruction from the General Administration of Customs. E-cigarette advertising is restricted, and cross-border e-cigarette advertising and sponsorship are prohibited. There is currently no excise tax on e-cigarettes or e-liquids.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Slovakia
Adult using HTP prevalence is 4%.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Slovakia
NRT is legal to market.
Snus
in Slovakia
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 Slovakia
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.