The data lands as the European Commission pledges to take a harder line against tobacco and vape products, with the EU health and tax commissioners pushing to hike taxes on both to curb related illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said tobacco control efforts prevent millions of people from smoking. But, “the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people,” he said, urging governments to act “faster and stronger” in implementing proven tobacco control policies.
Taking the lead
Globally, in 2024, there were an estimated 1.2 billion tobacco users aged 15 years and older. Tobacco prevalence is falling worldwide, but at a slower rate in Europe than other regions.
The figures for the WHO’s Europe region include 53 countries and stretch as far east as Russia. However, the latest EU data also matches the WHO’s findings — a Eurobarometer survey from June 2024 found that 24 percent of people in the bloc smoked tobacco.
Prevalence in Europe fell from almost 35 percent in 2000 to a little over 24 percent in 2020. In Southeast Asia, meanwhile, tobacco consumption has plummeted from around 54 percent to over 23 percent during the same period.
Meanwhile, there were over 86 million adults who vape worldwide in 2024, the report found. The Americas and Europe had the highest prevalence rates of people aged 15 and over who use vapes, at 4.8 percent and 4.6 percent respectively.