Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults) in Zambia
Zambia: Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults) was 14.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of current tobacco use in Zambia, 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 Zambia stood at 14.3%. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of current tobacco use in Zambia peaked at 19.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 2024.
Zambia ranks 106th of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of current tobacco use (% of adults) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 19.8% | — |
| 2005 | 18.3% | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 17.8% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 17.0% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 15.9% | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 14.6% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 14.4% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 14.3% | -0.7% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 14.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.2%, 88% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 14.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.9%, 1.4× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.6% | 17.8% | 19.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 15.9% | 17.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.6% | 14.3% | 14.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,894 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of current tobacco use in Zambia?
- Prevalence of current tobacco use in Zambia was 14.3% in 2024, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of current tobacco use recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for prevalence of current tobacco use?
- Zambia ranks 106th out of 166 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of current tobacco use rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.