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Countries Where Adults Still Love to Smoke Tobacco

peel it off Cigarette pack prepare smoking on white wooden background. Packing line up. photo filters Natural light

Countries Where Adults Still Love to Smoke Tobacco

Published: by David Beren

With around one in five adults in the world still enjoying smoking tobacco, it begs the question of where this smoking is happening. Interestingly enough, according to Our World in Data, adults ages 15 and older who smoke might not be from where you think. Instead of America, many of the top countries with smokers are from other parts of the world. 

With this in mind, we will examine which countries currently have the highest number of adults who smoke tobacco based on 2020 data. We’ll also compare and contrast the same data from 2000 and see what kind of increase or decrease each country saw in tobacco smoking over the last twenty years. 

20. Lithuania

Aerial view of Vilnius Old Town, one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe. Summer landscape of UNESCO-inscribed Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania
Lithuania has the 20th highest smoking percentage in the world.

©MNStudio/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 32.0%
  • 2000 Percentage: 41.4%
  • Difference: -9.4%

19. France

Over the last 20 years, smoking in France hasn’t increased much.

©iStock.com/Sean3810

  • 2020 Percentage: 33.4%
  • 2000 Percentage: 34.2%
  • Difference: -0.8%

18. Greece

Greece has seen a huge decline in smoking since 2000.

©Sven Hansche/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 33.5%
  • 2000 Percentage: 54.9%
  • Difference: -21.4%

17. Bangladesh

Bangladesh has decreased its smoking habit by over 22% since 2000.

©Lumenite/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 34.7%
  • 2000 Percentage: 57.6%
  • Difference: -22.9%

16. Jordan

Jordan has declined its smoking percentage since 2000.
  • 2020 Percentage: 34.8%
  • 2000 Percentage: 30.7%
  • Difference: +4.1%

15. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina has seen an 11% decrease in smoking.
  • 2020 Percentage: 35.0%
  • 2000 Percentage: 46.6%
  • Difference: -11.6%

14. Cyprus

Smoking in Cyprus declined over the last 20 years.

©Sabina Berezina/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 35.1%
  • 2000 Percentage: 40.9%
  • Difference: -5.8%

13. Tuvalu

Sunset and airstrip in the smallest country, Tuvalu.
Smoking in Tuvalu has decreased considerably since 2000.

©Hao Hsiang Chen/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 35.6%
  • 2000 Percentage: 48.8%
  • Difference: -13.2%

12. Solomon Islands

View over Honiara and Iron Bottom Sound, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Solomon Island smoking has decreased by 7% over 20 years.

©Graeme Snow/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 36.5%
  • 2000 Percentage: 43.5%
  • Difference: -7%

11. Croatia

Croatian smoking has increased over the last 20 years.

©xbrchx/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 36.9%
  • 2000 Percentage: 34.4%
  • Difference: +2.9%

10. Latvia

the old town of riga, latvia
Smoking in Latvia has also increased over the last 20 years.

©frank_peters/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 37.0%
  • 2000 Percentage: 35.4%
  • Difference: +1.6%

9. Indonesia

Indonesia has increased its smoking habit by 2% over the last 20 years.

©amadeustx/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 37.6%
  • 2000 Percentage: 35.4%
  • Difference: +2.2%

8. Lebanon

Lebanon has decreased its smoking habit since 2000.

©iStock.com/ramzihachicho

  • 2020 Percentage: 38.2%
  • 2000 Percentage: 40.2%
  • Difference: -2%

7. Bulgaria

Bulgaria has seen one of the largest smoking habit drops since 2000.

©Sergej Razvodovskij/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 39.0%
  • 2000 Percentage: 47.5%
  • Difference: -8.5%

6. East Timor

Aerial photo of Dili, Timor-Leste
Smoking in East Timor has decreased by 14% since 2000.

©Jack Nugent/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 39.2%
  • 2000 Percentage: 53.5%
  • Difference: -14.3%

5. Papua New Guinea

A big drop in smoking in Papua New Guinea occurred over the last 20 years.
  • 2020 Percentage: 39.3%
  • 2000 Percentage: 54.1%
  • Difference: -14.8%

4. Serbia

Smoking in Serbia decreased by 5% over 20 years.

©"Serbia-0271 - Pedestrian Street" by archer10 (Dennis) is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License

  • 2020 Percentage: 39.8%
  • 2000 Percentage: 45.1%
  • Difference: -5.3%

3. Kiribati

Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Parliament of Kiribati) building on motu in an atoll's lagoon, aerial view. House of Assembly, Ambo, South Tarawa, Kiribati, Gilbert islands, Micronesia, Oceania.
Kiribati has had the largest drop in smoking since 2000.

©maloff/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 40.6%
  • 2000 Percentage: 68.5%
  • Difference: -27.9%

2. Myanmar

GRAN PAGODA DE SHEWEDAGON PAYA, YANGON, MYANMAR
Myanmar has thankfully reduced its smoking habit considerably.

©"GRAN PAGODA DE SHEWEDAGON PAYA, YANGON, MYANMAR" by Jose Javier Martin Espartosa is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License

  • 2020 Percentage: 44.1%
  • 2000 Percentage: 66.9%
  • Difference: -22.8%

1. Nauru

Office of the President, Yaren, Nauru, South Pacific
Almost half of the Nauru population still smokes as of 2020.

©Robert Szymanski/Shutterstock.com

  • 2020 Percentage: 48.5%
  • 2000 Percentage: 63.4%
  • Difference: -14.9%

The image featured at the top of this post is ©fongbeerredhot/Shutterstock.com.

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