Tobacco smoking in East Timor

In East Timur also known as Timor-Leste, smoking is legally allowed and cigarettes can be sold, but their sales through online channels and vending machines are banned. They can also be imported for trade with a license. There is a minimum age requirement of 17 years for all tobacco purchases, and all packaging must display a health warning. Furthermore, there is a total ban on all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion. Smoking in public is not allowed in public places like healthcare and educational facilities. Cigarettes are subject to a specific excise tax of 44.44%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 47.23%.

The current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older in East Timur shows significant variations over recent years. As of 2024, the estimated number of current smokers was reported to be 387,000 while in 2020 there were 252,531 smokers. The adult current smoking prevalence in 2024 was recorded to be 42%, a decline from 31.5% in 2020. Notably, the current prevalence of smoking among adult males was substantially higher with 74.6% in 2024, compared to 9.1% among adult females. This gender disparity in tobacco smoking has been consistent over the years; smoking prevalence among males was recorded to be 57.7% in 2020 and 65.8% in 2019, while among females it was 4.9% in 2020 and 10.7% in 2019. The adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was 33.3%, with a prevalence of 39.5% among males and 5.1% among females.

In terms of health impacts, smoking-related mortality data from 2021 indicate that 1,002 deaths were attributable to smoking in East Timur, and males accounted for 801 of these deaths and females made 201 of the deaths. In other words, smoking-related deaths constituted 10.53% of all deaths in the country in 2021, with a higher percentage observed among males (15.06%) than among females (4.79%). These statistics underscore the ongoing public health challenges posed by tobacco smoking in East Timor and require stronger efforts to curb its prevalence and associated health impacts.