Prevalence of current tobacco use in South Asia
South Asia: Prevalence of current tobacco use was 23.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of current tobacco use in South Asia, 2000–2024
Source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 23.6% for prevalence of current tobacco use in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.5% on the previous year and down 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of current tobacco use in South Asia peaked at 55.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.6%, in 2024.
South Asia ranks 11th of 46 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
Prevalence of current tobacco use in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 55.6% | — |
| 2005 | 46.9% | -15.6% |
| 2007 | 43.4% | -7.4% |
| 2010 | 39.0% | -10.3% |
| 2015 | 32.3% | -17.0% |
| 2020 | 27.1% | -16.2% |
| 2022 | 25.3% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 24.5% | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 23.6% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.6% | 43.4% | 55.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 35.6% | 32.3% | 39.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 25.1% | 23.6% | 27.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 8 Solomon Islands 38.4% compare
- 9 Kiribati 37.7% compare
- 10 Montenegro 37.2% compare
- 11 Bosnia and Herzegovina 37.1% compare
- 12 Andorra 35.5% compare
- 12 Palestine, State of 35.5% compare
- 14 Naoero 34.8% compare
More health data for South Asia
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, male, annual growth rate 0.1112 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per capita 0.0146 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 2.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per capita 0.043 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, annual growth rate 2.63 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of current tobacco use in South Asia?
- Prevalence of current tobacco use in South Asia was 23.6% in 2024, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 55.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.6% in 2024.
- How does South Asia rank for prevalence of current tobacco use?
- South Asia ranks 11th out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of current tobacco use rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia 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.