South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Share of men who smoke or use other tobacco
South Africa
39.0%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
38.9%
in 2024
South Africa rank
42nd
Sri Lanka rank
43rd
Share of men who smoke or use other tobacco over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 39.0% against 38.9% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
South Africa ranks 42nd and Sri Lanka ranks 43rd of 167 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.3% | 47.0% | 11.7% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 36.8% | 43.2% | 6.4% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 38.5% | 39.5% | 1.0% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of men who smoke or use other tobacco, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- South Africa, at 39.0% against 38.9% in Sri Lanka as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of men who smoke or use other tobacco between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for share of men who smoke or use other tobacco?
- South Africa ranks 42nd and Sri Lanka ranks 43rd of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of men who smoke or use other tobacco. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated percentage of male adults (15 years and older) who currently use tobacco. This includes all forms of tobacco use, such as smoking, chewing or snuffing, but excludes products that do not contain tobacco, such as e-cigarettes.