North Macedonia sees high daily smoking rates amid regional increase

Eurostat data indicates a divergence in tobacco consumption trends between the European Union and the Balkan region. While EU member states saw a decline in the use of cigarettes and related products in 2025, several regional countries, including Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, experienced significant increases.

In North Macedonia, nearly one in four citizens over the age of 16 (22.5% as of 2022) are daily users of tobacco or related products. While this rate is lower than that of Turkey (29.6%), Serbia (26.6%), and Bulgaria (26.3%), it remains substantially higher than the EU average of 16.5% recorded in 2025.

Across the EU, Bulgaria, Sweden, and Croatia reported the highest daily usage rates, whereas the lowest rates were found in the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. In the Balkan region, Serbia reported a 26.6% smoking rate, followed by Montenegro at 23.8% and Croatia at 23.6%.