Greece remains cheap smoking destination as EU tobacco taxes rise
Germany’s tobacco tax keeps a pack of cigarettes at €9‑10, with a planned increase to up to €12 by 2030. In contrast, Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria still sell packs for under €5, while the Netherlands, France and Norway are more expensive. Ireland leads with a 20‑pack costing about €19 and strict indoor smoking bans.
In Greece, international brands are priced between €4.60 and €5 per pack and local brands between €4.00 and €4.50, with up to 85 % of the final price made up of tobacco and VAT taxes. An EU directive on tobacco taxation is expected to lift the Greek pack price to roughly €6.50. Historically a cheap‑smoking market, Greece saw cigarette prices rise six‑fold after the 2010 financial crisis, cutting official consumption by up to 40 % while the illegal market expanded, with estimates that one in five cigarettes is smuggled. Currently, 36 % of Greeks aged over 15 smoke, compared with the EU average of 24 %.
In the United States, pack prices average $10, ranging from $8 in low‑tax states such as Missouri to $12 in high‑tax states like New York, with a federal excise tax of $1.01 per pack.
Entities
European Union · Germany · Greece · Ireland · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Ireland’s 20‑pack of cigarettes costs about €19 and the country enforces strict indoor smoking bans. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] 36 % of Greeks aged over 15 smoke, compared with the EU average of 24 %. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] In Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria a pack of cigarettes often costs less than €5. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Germany’s current tobacco tax results in a pack price of €9‑10, with a target of up to €12 by 2030. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] An EU tobacco tax directive will raise the Greek pack price to about €6.50. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] In Greece, international cigarette brands cost €4.60‑5 per pack and local brands €4‑4.50. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] In the United States, the average pack price is about $10, ranging from $8 in low‑tax states to $12 in high‑tax states, with a federal tax of $1.01 per pack. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Up to 85 % of the final price of cigarettes in Greece consists of tobacco and VAT taxes. www.ikz-online.de · www.abendblatt.de · www.nrz.de · www.wr.de