Prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia
Malaysia: Prevalence of current tobacco use was 16.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia, 2000–2024
Source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia is 16.9%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia peaked at 27.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.9%, in 2024.
That places Malaysia 95th out of 166 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.6% | — |
| 2005 | 24.5% | -11.2% |
| 2007 | 23.4% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 22.0% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 19.7% | -10.5% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 17.1% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 16.9% | -1.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 16.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21.1%, 80% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 16.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23.1%, 73% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.2% | 23.4% | 27.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 20.9% | 19.7% | 22.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 16.9% | 18.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 652 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia?
- Prevalence of current tobacco use in Malaysia was 16.9% in 2024, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 27.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.9% in 2024.
- How does Malaysia rank for prevalence of current tobacco use?
- Malaysia ranks 95th out of 166 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of current tobacco use rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The percentage of the population ages 15 years and over who currently use any tobacco product (smoked and/or smokeless tobacco) on a daily or non-daily basis. Tobacco products include cigarettes, pipes, cigars, cigarillos, waterpipes (hookah, shisha), bidis, kretek, heated tobacco products, and all forms of smokeless (oral and nasal) tobacco. Tobacco products exclude e-cigarettes (which do not contain tobacco), “e-cigars”, “e-hookahs”, JUUL and “e-pipes”. The rates are age-standardized to the WHO Standard Population.