A new World Health Organization (WHO) global report reveals significant progress in the fight against tobacco, but warns that one in five adults worldwide remains addicted, fueling millions of preventable deaths annually.
The total number of tobacco users globally has fallen from billion in to billion in . Since , the number of users has dropped by million, a relative reduction, largely thanks to worldwide tobacco control efforts.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, praised the progress but cautioned: “In response to this strong progress, the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco control policies.”
The Rise of Vaping: 100 Million E-Cigarette Users Globally
For the first time, the WHO has estimated global e-cigarette use, finding the numbers “alarming.” More than million people worldwide are now vaping, which includes:
- Adults: At least million users, concentrated mostly in high-income countries.
- Adolescents: At least million children aged 13–15 are already using e-cigarettes. The report notes that in countries with available data, children are, on average, nine times more likely than adults to vape.
The tobacco industry is introducing a constant stream of new products—including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products—to market addiction beyond traditional cigarettes.
“E-cigarettes are fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction,” said Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention Department. “They are marketed as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.”
Quitting Trends: Women Lead the Charge
While tobacco use has declined for both men and women across all age groups from to , women have been quicker to quit.
Women reached the global reduction target for five years early, hitting the milestone in . The prevalence of tobacco use among women dropped from in to just in .
By contrast, men are not expected to meet the goal until .
- Four out of five tobacco users worldwide are men (just under billion men).
- Prevalence among men fell from in to in , a pace the WHO calls “too slow.”
- A Regional Picture of Tobacco Use (2024 Prevalence)
The report highlights uneven progress across the globe:
- South-East Asia: Once the world’s hotspot, male prevalence nearly halved from in to in . This region alone accounts for over half of the global decline.
- Europe: Now has the highest prevalence globally at of adults. European women have the highest global prevalence for their gender at .
- Western Pacific: Progress is the slowest, with adult use. Men in this region have the highest prevalence of all regions at .
- Africa: Prevalence is the lowest at and the region is on track to meet the reduction target, but the absolute number of users is still rising due to population growth.
- Americas: Achieved a relative reduction, with prevalence dropping to .
- Stronger Action Needed to Beat the Epidemic
The WHO is urgently calling on governments to step up tobacco control measures. This includes:
- Fully implementing and enforcing the MPOWER package and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
- Closing loopholes that allow the tobacco and nicotine industries to target children.
- Regulating new nicotine products like e-cigarettes.
- Raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising, and expanding cessation services.
“Nearly of adults still use tobacco and nicotine products. We cannot let up now,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. “The world has made gains, but stronger, faster action is the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.”
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