Top Stories from Germany
19.3% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 13.9 million current smokers in Germany
22.1% of men are current smokers but only 16.5% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-12-11
Smoking in Germany
The overall smoking prevalence in Germany has been going down since 2006. 28% of the adult population in Germany are current smokers, up from 30% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 20.1 million smokers in the country. 29.9% of men smoke, whilst for women this figure is 26%.
The most recent data show there were 124,789 annual deaths attributable to tobacco smoking (approximately 42,000 women and 82,800 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 15.21% (women: 8.9%; and men: 18.4%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Germany and there are 1.5 million vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 2.1%. There is a requirement to ensure vape packaging contains a health warning, and vapescan only be sold to those aged 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 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) products can be marketed and are available to buy in pharmacies. The NRT market in Germany is worth €45.8 million.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
98,991
Deaths
In Germany, 98,991 people die each year due to tobacco smoking.
45.8 million €
Market size of NRT.
NRT market size is estimated to be 45.8 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Germany
In Germany, e-cigarettes are legal and regulated as tobacco products. Online sales of e-cigarettes are legal, and they are widely available in general retail outlets. However, the sale of e-cigarettes through vending machines is banned, and health claims promoting their use are not permitted. Advertising of e-cigarettes is also restricted. Germany imposes an excise duty on e-cigarette products, which amounts to up to 10% of the taxes levied on conventional cigarettes. The country maintains a detailed regulatory framework for the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes. Based on that, notifications of new products are required before market entry, and child-resistant and tamper-proof packaging is mandatory. Health warnings must appear clearly on all packaging. Additionally, sales are limited to individuals aged 18 years and above, and the maximum nicotine concentration allowed is 20 mg/ml. Tank capacity is restricted to 2 ml or less, in accordance with EU regulations. There are currently no restrictions on flavour range, but the use of e-cigarettes is banned in certain public places.
As of 2023, Germany recorded approximately 1.4 million current vapers, representing 2% of the adult population. Adult vaping current prevalence was 3.3% among women and 4.5% among men, while daily vaping prevalence was 0.6%. For reference, in 2017, around 12% of adults reported having tried e-cigarettes at least once. Public perception data from the same year indicated that 54% of respondents considered e-cigarettes harmful or more harmful than traditional cigarettes, 32% believed they were less harmful, and 14% had no idea.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Germany
Heated tobacco products are taxed similarly to pipes in Germany. Daily using HTP prevalence is at 0.4%.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Germany
NRT is legal to market.
Snus
in Germany
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 Germany
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.