What are the 10 countries with the highest percentage of smokers? Although study after study shows that smoking is bad for one’s health, smoking can be a difficult habit to kick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 15.1% of American adults smoke, and smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease in the country. This is in spite of the fact that cigarettes are taxed heavily and awareness of smoking’s downsides have increased.
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While the number of Americans that smoke sounds bad, an even larger percentage of the population smoke in other countries. Over 5 trillion cigarettes are smoked every year. Despite some reductions in smoking in the developed world, smoking in developing nations and Eastern bloc countries have largely offset the Western declines. In some countries, greater stress causes more people to smoke. The economic or physical conditions are tougher, forcing more people to resort to smoking as a stress reliever. In others, smoking isn’t seen as necessarily as much of a public health hazard as it is seen in the United States. Due to that perception, more people are willing to try smoking and have become addicted to it. In almost all of the countries on this list, cigarettes cost a lot less.
By the way, you can watch the video below to find out 7 cigarette brands that contain the lowest tar and nicotine.
While there is no question that smoking is bad for one’s health, manufacturing and marketing cigarettes can be a lucrative and stable business. Companies such as Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), British American Tobacco PLC (ADR) (NYSEMKT:BTI), and Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE:RAI) have been reliable performers in recent years, churning out profits in good times and bad. In Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)’s case, the cigarette giant reported revenue of $6.97 billion for its fourth quarter, up 9.1% year-over-year, and $300 million ahead of estimates. Although EPS came in two cents below the consensus at $1.10 per share, guidance is strong, with management expecting net income per share to come in at $4.80-$4.95 for 2017. That’s considerably better than last year’s $4.48 per share and the previous guidance of $4.70-$4.85. Shares are up 20% year-to-date as investors flock to the stock for the company’s 3.76% dividend yield and its safety due to ingrained habits by millions of its customers. Although it’s not cheap anymore, Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) is arguably not expensive either.
The same case can be made for British American Tobacco PLC (ADR) (NYSEMKT:BTI), and Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE:RAI), whose stocks are both well in the green year-to-date. Incidentally, British American Tobacco PLC (ADR) (NYSEMKT:BTI) agreed to merge with Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE:RAI) in January of this year. If the merger is successful, the two companies will have more scale, and could be more profitable for shareholders.
In this article, let’s take a closer look at the 10 Countries With The Highest Percentage of Smokers, some of which will likely surprise you. For those of you interested, also check out the article 7 Cigarette Brands With Lowest Tar and Nicotine.
#10 Samoa
Although it’s a tropical paradise, many Samoans smoke. According to the Tobacco Atlas, 33.6% more men smoke in Samoa than the average for middle-income countries.
#9 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Although the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are among the tallest people in the world (the men there average around 6 feet), they also smoke a lot. The country ranks 8th on our list of 10 countries with the highest percentage of smokers.
#8 Serbia
31.8% more men smoke in Serbia that ranks 8th in our list of countries with the highest percentage of smokers, than the average for middle of the pack nations. 22.8% more women smoke than the average as well.
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#7 Belarus
Not to be left out, another former Eastern Bloc nation, Belarus is also high on the list of countries with the highest percentage of smokers. In Belarus, 26% of the retail price of a cigarette is the excise tax. That compares to 75% for the WHO Benchmark.
#6 Austria
28.5% more women smoke in the country of Austria than the average for high income nations.
#5 Ukraine
27.1% of more males in Ukraine die due to tobacco than the average for middle-income nations.
#4 Russia
51% more males in Russia smoke than the average for high-income countries.
#3 Nauru
Smoking in Nauru isn’t exactly discouraged by the government by Western standards. 0% of the retail price of a smoke is the excise tax. That compares to the WHO benchmark of 75%.
#2 Greece
41% more Greek men and 34.7% more Greek women smoke than the average for high-income nations.
#1 North Korea
45.8% more men in North Korea smoke than the average for low-income nations. That makes the country, the heaviest smoking nation in the world.
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In conclusion, many countries in the list of 10 Countries With The Highest Percentage of Smokers are ex-Soviet Union/Eastern Block countries where the habit has likely been ingrained into every day life.
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