Affordability of cigarettes in Australia

Australia: Affordability of cigarettes was 3.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
3.5%
Change on year
down 7.3%
World rank
92nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
3.8%
in 2020
All-time low
2.1%
in 2012
Years of data
6
2012–2022

Affordability of cigarettes in Australia, 2012–2022

012342012201720222012: 2.1 %2014: 2.5 %2016: 3 %2018: 2.8 %2020: 3.8 %2022: 3.5 %

Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Australia recorded 3.5% for affordability of cigarettes in 2022.

That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and up 71.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, affordability of cigarettes in Australia peaked at 3.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2012.

Australia ranks 92nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Affordability of cigarettes in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Affordability of cigarettes in Australia, 2012 to 2022.
Year % Change
2012 2.1%
2014 2.5% +21.4%
2016 3.0% +20.4%
2018 2.8% -8.3%
2020 3.8% +38.4%
2022 3.5% -7.3%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 3.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.9%, 1.8× the median. (59 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 3.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.2%, 69% of the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 2.6% 2.1% 3.0% 4
2020s 3.7% 3.5% 3.8% 2

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 89 Pakistan 3.7% compare
  2. 90 Bahamas 3.7% compare
  3. 91 Moldova 3.6% compare
  4. 93 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3.5% compare
  5. 94 Tunisia 3.5% compare
  6. 95 Malaysia 3.4% compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is affordability of cigarettes in Australia?
Affordability of cigarettes in Australia was 3.5% in 2022, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest affordability of cigarettes recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 2020.
What is the lowest affordability of cigarettes recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2012.
How does Australia rank for affordability of cigarettes?
Australia ranks 92nd out of 176 countries with data for 2022.
Is affordability of cigarettes rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 71.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Affordability of cigarettes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Affordability of cigarettes in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/affordability-cigarettes/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Affordability of cigarettes
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 1,044 data points, 2012–2022
Last refreshed

Price of 100 packs of cigarettes as a share of GDP per capita. This price is based on the most-sold brand of cigarettes in a given country and includes taxes. Lower values indicate that cigarettes are more affordable.