One in four EU citizens smoke, with eastern and southeastern European countries showing the highest rates of tobacco use, according to recent Eurobarometer data.
Bulgaria leads the EU with 37% of its population being smokers, followed by Greece at 36%, Croatia at 35%, and Romania at 34%.
Cyprus ranks seventh highest in Europe with 29% of its population smoking, whilst Sweden reports the lowest percentage at 8%, followed by the Netherlands (11%) and Denmark (14%).
The survey reveals a significant gender gap, with men more likely to use tobacco products than women (28% versus 21%). More than half of EU citizens (56%) report never having smoked.
Young men facing financial difficulties are the most likely to smoke, with the highest concentration found in the 25-39 age group (32%).
The unemployed show the highest smoking rates (40%), followed by manual workers (37%) and managers (20%).
People struggling to pay bills have higher smoking rates (38%) compared to those without financial difficulties (21%).
Traditional packaged cigarettes remain the most popular choice, with 77% of smokers preferring them over roll-your-own tobacco (23%).
The average daily consumption stands at 14 cigarettes, unchanged since 2020. E-cigarette usage remains low at 3% across the EU.
Smoking continues to be the leading preventable health risk in the EU, causing 700,000 deaths annually. Research shows that about 50% of smokers die prematurely, averaging 14 years earlier than non-smokers.
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