And the one thing that really jumps out at me is France really living up to its stenotype.
You can see how this compares to other countries in the world in the table below:
| Entity | Share of adults who smoke or use tobacco (age-standardized) |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 22.7% |
| Africa | 11.5% |
| Albania | 21.9% |
| Algeria | 21.2% |
| Andorra | 36.3% |
| Argentina | 23.8% |
| Armenia | 24.9% |
| Asia | 24.2% |
| Australia | 13.1% |
| Austria | 24.9% |
| Azerbaijan | 19.6% |
| Bahamas | 11.3% |
| Bahrain | 15.0% |
| Bangladesh | 32.9% |
| Barbados | 7.0% |
| Belarus | 30.1% |
| Belgium | 26.7% |
| Belize | 8.8% |
| Benin | 6.3% |
| Bhutan | 18.7% |
| Bolivia | 12.4% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 36.2% |
| Botswana | 18.7% |
| Brazil | 12.2% |
| Brunei | 16.4% |
| Bulgaria | 39.5% |
| Burkina Faso | 14.3% |
| Burundi | 11.2% |
| Cambodia | 17.2% |
| Cameroon | 6.5% |
| Canada | 12.0% |
| Cape Verde | 11.0% |
| Chad | 7.4% |
| Chile | 28.7% |
| China | 23.4% |
| Colombia | 8.2% |
| Comoros | 17.2% |
| Congo | 15.4% |
| Cook Islands | 27.0% |
| Costa Rica | 8.9% |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 8.8% |
| Croatia | 37.0% |
| Cuba | 17.4% |
| Cyprus | 35.6% |
| Czechia | 29.9% |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 12.2% |
| Denmark | 16.2% |
| Dominican Republic | 10.5% |
| East Timor | 38.7% |
| Ecuador | 10.2% |
| Egypt | 24.7% |
| El Salvador | 8.9% |
| Estonia | 28.3% |
| Eswatini | 9.5% |
| Ethiopia | 5.2% |
| Europe | 25.9% |
| Fiji | 27.6% |
| Finland | 22.3% |
| France | 34.6% |
| Gambia | 10.5% |
| Georgia | 31.8% |
| Germany | 21.3% |
| Ghana | 3.4% |
| Greece | 32.8% |
| Guatemala | 11.9% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 8.2% |
| Guyana | 11.1% |
| Haiti | 8.1% |
| High-income countries | 23.2% |
| Honduras | 12.3% |
| Hungary | 32.2% |
| Iceland | 9.4% |
| India | 24.3% |
| Indonesia | 38.2% |
| Iran | 13.3% |
| Iraq | 19.2% |
| Ireland | 19.3% |
| Israel | 20.4% |
| Italy | 22.4% |
| Jamaica | 9.7% |
| Japan | 19.2% |
| Jordan | 35.6% |
| Kazakhstan | 22.2% |
| Kenya | 10.7% |
| Kiribati | 39.7% |
| Kuwait | 19.9% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 27.3% |
| Laos | 27.2% |
| Latvia | 33.9% |
| Lebanon | 34.3% |
| Lesotho | 24.3% |
| Liberia | 8.2% |
| Lithuania | 31.4% |
| Low-income countries | 12.1% |
| Lower-middle-income countries | 21.7% |
| Luxembourg | 23.0% |
| Madagascar | 26.8% |
| Malawi | 9.7% |
| Malaysia | 22.0% |
| Maldives | 26.3% |
| Mali | 8.0% |
| Malta | 24.7% |
| Marshall Islands | 29.8% |
| Mauritania | 9.5% |
| Mauritius | 20.9% |
| Mexico | 14.9% |
| Moldova | 29.7% |
| Mongolia | 29.5% |
| Montenegro | 32.0% |
| Morocco | 13.0% |
| Myanmar | 44.4% |
| Namibia | 14.1% |
| Nauru | 48.3% |
| Nepal | 28.3% |
| Netherlands | 21.3% |
| New Zealand | 12.2% |
| Niger | 7.7% |
| Nigeria | 3.3% |
| North America | 19.8% |
| North Korea | 16.5% |
| Norway | 14.2% |
| Oceania | 19.1% |
| Oman | 8.4% |
| Pakistan | 18.9% |
| Palau | 17.3% |
| Panama | 5.2% |
| Papua New Guinea | 39.6% |
| Paraguay | 10.7% |
| Peru | 7.1% |
| Philippines | 20.4% |
| Poland | 23.6% |
| Portugal | 25.6% |
| Qatar | 12.5% |
| Romania | 30.0% |
| Russia | 29.2% |
| Rwanda | 14.3% |
| Saint Lucia | 13.8% |
| Samoa | 22.5% |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 7.8% |
| Saudi Arabia | 14.9% |
| Senegal | 6.5% |
| Serbia | 39.5% |
| Seychelles | 20.2% |
| Sierra Leone | 12.9% |
| Singapore | 16.4% |
| Slovakia | 32.4% |
| Slovenia | 20.1% |
| Solomon Islands | 36.9% |
| South Africa | 20.7% |
| South America | 13.4% |
| South Korea | 20.0% |
| Spain | 28.4% |
| Sri Lanka | 19.5% |
| Sweden | 22.7% |
| Switzerland | 25.5% |
| Tanzania | 9.3% |
| Thailand | 19.2% |
| Togo | 6.4% |
| Tonga | 31.3% |
| Tunisia | 20.5% |
| Turkey | 30.5% |
| Turkmenistan | 5.6% |
| Tuvalu | 33.7% |
| Uganda | 7.5% |
| Ukraine | 24.9% |
| United Arab Emirates | 9.0% |
| United Kingdom | 14.2% |
| United States | 24.3% |
| Upper-middle-income countries | 22.5% |
| Uruguay | 20.5% |
| Uzbekistan | 16.7% |
| Vietnam | 22.5% |
| World | 21.7% |
| Yemen | 21.4% |
| Zambia | 14.6% |
| Zimbabwe | 11.3% |
The data for the map and the table above comes from the World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2024) and is for 2022.
Why does France have such a higher smoking rate than other Western European countries?
France’s relatively high smoking rate compared to other Western European countries results from a combination of historical, cultural, and socioeconomic reasons:
Historical and Cultural Acceptance
- Cultural symbolism: Smoking has traditionally been perceived in France as sophisticated, chic, and socially acceptable, reinforced by film, art, and popular culture.
- Social rituals: Smoking often accompanies social interactions like café culture, meals, and social gatherings.
Policy and Enforcement
- Delayed strict regulations: Compared to other Western European nations, France was slower to implement comprehensive tobacco-control measures (such as indoor smoking bans, advertising restrictions, and high taxation), allowing habits to persist longer.
- Weaker enforcement: Early enforcement of regulations was less stringent, allowing smoking norms to endure.
Economic Factors
- Pricing and taxation: Historically lower cigarette prices, especially relative to purchasing power, made smoking economically accessible for many years. Although this has changed recently, the habit persisted due to earlier affordability.
Industry Influence
- Strong tobacco lobbying: France historically had influential tobacco industry lobbying, delaying aggressive anti-smoking campaigns and regulations.
Youth Culture
- Early initiation: Youth initiation rates have historically been high, perpetuating the cycle through peer influence and normalization among younger demographics.
Recent Shifts:
France has increasingly tackled this issue through:
- Raising tobacco taxes significantly.
- Expanding anti-smoking campaigns.
- Introducing plain packaging legislation.
These recent policies have begun to reduce smoking rates, though historical factors mean that France’s rates remain relatively higher compared to its Western European counterparts.
Which country surprises you the most (either higher or lower)?
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