Increasing Number of Smokers Worldwide

Despite reduced and lower levels of smoking in many countries, population growth adds to the increase in the total global number of smokers. This figure illustrates the increase in the overall smoker numbers, which also forecasts further increases up until 2025.

In countries that have experienced steep falls in smoking prevalence over the years, the graphs have begun to level off, for example in Australia, suggesting there remains a substantial number of people who, for whatever reason, are determined to carry on smoking. The WHO trend data to 2025 predicts only very modest falls in smoking levels in several countries and predicts some rapid increases, mainly in Africa, the Middle East, some parts of Eastern Europe and republics of the former Soviet Union. Some of the more extreme examples include Cameroon (from 14 percent to 43 percent); Republic of Congo (from 14 percent to 48 percent) and Bahrain (from 25 percent to 60 percent).

See also p. 19 of the report: No Fire, No Smoke: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2018 — Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (gsthr.org)