The Toll of Tobacco Around the World

Increasingly, the burden of tobacco use is greatest in low- and middle-income countries that have been targeted by the tobacco industry with its deadly products and deceptive marketing practices. The result: A global tobacco epidemic of preventable death, disease and economic harm to countries and families.

Global Tobacco Consumption

• There are currently more than one billion smokers in the world.
• Additional tobacco use includes various forms of oral tobacco (e.g., chew, dip), hookah or waterpipe, and a dizzying and ever-growing array of emerging products (e.g., e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches).
• Globally, 16.4% of adults are current smokers (men 28.1%; women 4.7%).
• Around 79% of the world’s smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Globally, the number of youth aged 13–15 years who smoke is estimated to be around 30 million.
• The number of cigarette smokers and other tobacco product users is increasing in many low- and middle-income countries due to population growth and tobacco industry marketing.
• Globally, more than 360 million people use smokeless tobacco products, and over 90% of users live in low- and middle-income countries.

Health Consequences of Tobacco Use Around the World

• 100 million people died from tobacco use in the 20th century. If current trends continue one billion people will die from tobacco use in the 21st century.
• Tobacco kills up to half of all lifetime users. On average, smokers lose at least 10 years of life.
• Tobacco kills more than 7 million people, including smokers and non-smokers, each year.
• Of these deaths, over 1.6 million are non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke.
• Smokeless tobacco is responsible for up to 500,000 deaths each year.
• Tobacco-caused illnesses account for 1 in 10 adult deaths worldwide. By 2030, 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.

Tobacco Costs to Economies

• Smoking is estimated to cause about 1.85 trillion (USD) in total economic damage each year.
• Costs associated with tobacco-caused illnesses are extremely high. Total economic costs associated with smoking represent 1.8% of global GDP, and smoking-attributable health expenditures represent 5.7% of total global health expenditure.
• Tobacco-caused illnesses and premature mortality impose high productivity costs to the economy because of sick workers and those who die prematurely during their working years.
• These indirect costs of smoking are estimated to be about 1 trillion (USD)globally, nearly two thirds of which is due to premature mortality.

Tobacco Production Damages the Environment

• Tobacco production and use damages the environment throughout its entire life cycle — from cultivation to manufacture to consumption to disposal. It impacts our land, water, and air, and contributes to climate change.
• Tobacco product waste makes up at least 25–40% of all global litter, with cigarette butts being one of the most littered items on the planet.
• Tobacco plants are especially vulnerable to many pests and diseases, prompting farmers to apply large quantities of chemicals and pesticides that harm human health and the environment.
• Clearing of land for cultivation and large amounts of wood needed for curing tobacco cause massive deforestation.
• A single cigarette pollutes 3.7 liters of water and produces 14 grams of carbon dioxide, further contributing to climate change.

See our fact sheet on Tobacco's Toll on Global Health