Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Prevalence of current tobacco use was 8.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 2000–2024
Source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 8.9% for prevalence of current tobacco use in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 21.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 18.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.9%, in 2024.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 43rd out of 46 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 18.4% | — |
| 2005 | 15.5% | -16.1% |
| 2007 | 14.5% | -6.5% |
| 2010 | 13.1% | -9.2% |
| 2015 | 11.3% | -13.8% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | -13.3% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 9.1% | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 8.9% | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.1% | 14.5% | 18.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 12.2% | 11.3% | 13.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 9.3% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 2.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0287 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 8.9% in 2024, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 18.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.9% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for prevalence of current tobacco use?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 43rd out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of current tobacco use rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.