Smoking Prevalence by Country — Every Decade Since 1800

The share of people who smoke reveals our collective vulnerability to daily habits that quietly shape life expectancy, serving as a powerful mirror for public health and personal choices worldwide. As of the 2020s, smoking prevalence ranges from 3.28 % in Nigeria to 48.68 % in Timor-Leste across 140 countries. This metric captures the silent rhythms of everyday life, tracing how cultural norms, economic pressures, and personal rituals weave themselves into the fabric of human existence across diverse populations.

The table and chart below track every country MYRIAD covers, decade by decade — and every row links to what that number meant for a real life born there. From the lowest rates found in places like Nigeria at 3.28 %, Ghana at 3.5 %, Panama at 5.2 %, Ethiopia at 5.25 %, Liberia at 5.73 %, Turkmenistan at 5.78 %, Senegal at 5.88 %, Cameroon at 6.1 %, Togo at 6.25 %, and Paraguay at 7.2 %, up to the median in South Korea at 19.45 %, the distribution shifts across regions. Toward the higher end, rates reach 35.18 % in Latvia, 37.1 % in Montenegro, 37.55 % in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 39 % in Bulgaria, 39.58 % in North Macedonia, 39.68 % in Serbia, 40.3 % in Papua New Guinea, 44.4 % in Myanmar, 45.83 % in Lebanon, and 48.68 % in Timor-Leste.

For anyone navigating these geographies, these statistics illuminate the unseen atmospheric pressures accompanying a birth in any given decade. Whether your local environment leans toward the lower end exemplified by Nigeria at 3.28 % or the upper boundary found in Timor-Leste at 48.68 %, the numbers describe the ambient conditions of your surroundings. You can also explore specific contexts such as Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Nigeria, United Kingdom, and United States to understand how these trends manifest locally.

Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →