Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults) in North America
North America: Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults) was 15.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of current tobacco use in North America, 2000–2024
Source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of current tobacco use in North America stood at 15.3%. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of current tobacco use in North America peaked at 37.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 2024.
North America ranks 33rd of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults) in North America, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 37.6% | — |
| 2005 | 31.1% | -17.5% |
| 2007 | 28.9% | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 25.8% | -10.8% |
| 2015 | 21.4% | -17.0% |
| 2020 | 17.7% | -17.0% |
| 2022 | 16.5% | -7.1% |
| 2023 | 15.9% | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 15.3% | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32.5% | 28.9% | 37.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 23.6% | 21.4% | 25.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 15.3% | 17.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
More health data for North America
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 0.825 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0358 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 0.6142 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0326 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of current tobacco use in North America?
- Prevalence of current tobacco use in North America was 15.3% in 2024, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 37.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 2024.
- How does North America rank for prevalence of current tobacco use?
- North America ranks 33rd out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of current tobacco use rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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.