Europe has the highest rate of tobacco use in the world, overtaking Southeast Asia, a report from the World Health Organization found Monday.
Just under a quarter (24.1 percent) of people aged 15 and over in Europe use tobacco, more than in any other WHO region, according to data from 2024. Women in the broader Europe region also have the highest global prevalence at 17.4 percent, the report found.
The study also recorded global vaping rates for the first time; the WHO said the figures were especially "alarming" among young people.
The data lands as the European Commission pledges to take a harder line against tobacco and vape products, with the EU health and tax commissioners pushing to hike taxes on both to curb related illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said tobacco control efforts prevent millions of people from smoking. But, “the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people,” he said, urging governments to act "faster and stronger" in implementing proven tobacco control policies.
