Tobacco smoking in Tanzania

In Tanzania, cigarettes are legally allowed for sale and smoke, with certain restrictions in place. The regulatory framework requires health warnings on all packaging of cigarettes and enforces a minimum sales age of 18 years. Cigarettes can be legally imported for trade and purchased through online channels, but they cannot be purchased from a vending machine. Not all forms of advertising are banned, but legal restrictions on smoking exist in public places such as healthcare and educational facilities. Additionally, an excise tax of 14.71%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 29.97%, is applied to cigarettes.

The current prevalence of smoking among adults aged 15 years and older in Tanzania in 2024 was reported to be 5%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This figure represents a decrease from previous years, with 6.7% in 2020 and 11% in 2019. The total number of current adult smokers was estimated to be 2 million people as of 2024. The gender-specific prevalence rates for 2024 indicate that 9.2% of males and 1% of females were current smokers. These statistics show a slight decrease from 12.4% of males and 1.2% of females in 2020, and 19.9% of males and 2% of females in 2019 reported as current smokers. The adult daily smoking prevalence in 2018 was 5.2%, with a prevalence of 9.9% among males and 0.9% among females. In terms of absolute numbers, there were approximately 2,041,494 smokers in 2022, showing a decline from 2,166,098 in 2020 and 3,435,679 in 2019.

Smoking-related mortality remains a significant concern in Tanzania, with 13,534 deaths reported in 2021, including 10,326 males and 3,209 females. Smoking-related deaths accounted for 3.07% of all deaths in the country, including 4.29% of male deaths and 1.61% of female deaths. These figures highlight the ongoing health impact of tobacco smoking in Tanzania despite a declining trend in recent years.