Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence of current tobacco use was 8.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 8.9%. 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 peaked at 18.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.9%, in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd of 46 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 65 and above, total, annual growth rate 3.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita 0.0142 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, female, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.0323 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.0181 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 3.35 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Prevalence of current tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa 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?
- The highest recorded value was 18.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.9% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for prevalence of current tobacco use?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of current tobacco use rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 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 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.