Overview

• WHO estimates put global smoking prevalence at roughly 19% today, down from about 23% a decade ago.
• The agency counts more than 100 million e‑cigarette users worldwide for the first time and flags strong youth uptake.
• Progress has been led by Southeast Asia, where the share of men who smoke has roughly halved since 2000.
• Europe shows weaker improvement, with female smoking at 17.4% remaining the highest regional rate.
• WHO urges governments to raise tobacco taxes, ban advertising and expand cessation services, even as Germany’s vaping market reports 25% revenue growth year over year.