Cigarettes prices in Europe - statistics & facts
Cigarette prices in Europe have been on an upward trajectory for years. Beyond the cost of the product itself, taxes make up a substantial portion of the price of a pack of cigarettes. Countries increase taxes on cigarettes in an effort to reduce demand for reasons of public health and revenue generation. Prices of all tobacco goods have risen more than most other fast-moving consumer goods segments within the European Union.
How a country sets its taxes on cigarettes is not necessarily a reflection of other policies towards smoking. While Ireland and the Netherlands are high on the list of both taxes and smoke-free public spaces, countries like Germany and Denmark, which are on the higher end of taxes, are relatively lax on public smoking restrictions.
With the known costs of smoking to public health, and the continued decline in the constituent population of cigarette smokers in Europe, there is little reason to expect any turnaround the upward march of cigarette prices.
Prices vary greatly across the bloc
The average retail price of a pack of cigarettes in the EU has risen over 22 percent since 2019 to a peak of 5.98 euros in 2024. There is significant variation in prices between member states. Ireland has the highest average price at 15.25 euros per pack. In contrast, the cost in Bulgaria is just 2.89 euros. Most countries within the bloc have average prices below six euros. Besides Ireland, just France, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany have prices above the six euro mark. Taxes make up the bulk of the price of a pack. In Ireland, excise duty and VAT totaled 12.77 euros or 84 percent of the total cost. Even in relatively low cost Bulgaria, taxes comprise 83 percent of the total. Tobacco product prices have also appreciated more than most food and beverage products. Since 2015, only oils and fats like olive oil have increased in price more than tobacco.Smoking in Europe
Although not a perfect inverse of the ranking of cigarette prices across Europe, the countries with lower prices did tend to have a higher rate of smoking. Bulgaria, with the cheapest cigarettes also had the highest rate of smoking with nearly 29 percent of the population smoking daily. The Nordic countries had the lowest share of smokers in their populations. They also tend to have higher prices. Across almost all countries in Europe, men make up the bulk of smokers. Only in Norway were more women smokers than men. Turkey had the highest share of male smokers while France had the highest share of female smokers.How a country sets its taxes on cigarettes is not necessarily a reflection of other policies towards smoking. While Ireland and the Netherlands are high on the list of both taxes and smoke-free public spaces, countries like Germany and Denmark, which are on the higher end of taxes, are relatively lax on public smoking restrictions.
With the known costs of smoking to public health, and the continued decline in the constituent population of cigarette smokers in Europe, there is little reason to expect any turnaround the upward march of cigarette prices.
