Affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia

Malaysia: Affordability of cigarettes was 3.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
3.4%
Change on year
down 14.8%
World rank
95th
of 176 countries
All-time high
4.3%
in 2016
All-time low
3.0%
in 2012
Years of data
6
2012–2022

Affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia, 2012–2022

012342012201720222012: 3 %2014: 3.3 %2016: 4.3 %2018: 3.8 %2020: 4 %2022: 3.4 %

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

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 3.4% for affordability of cigarettes in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.8% on the previous year and up 13.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia peaked at 4.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2012.

Malaysia ranks 95th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia, 2012 to 2022.
Year % Change
2012 3.0%
2014 3.3% +9.3%
2016 4.3% +31.1%
2018 3.8% -11.6%
2020 4.0% +5.3%
2022 3.4% -14.7%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 3.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 91% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 3.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.2%, 66% of the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 3.6% 3.0% 4.3% 4
2020s 3.7% 3.4% 4.0% 2

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 92 Australia 3.5% compare
  2. 93 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3.5% compare
  3. 94 Tunisia 3.5% compare
  4. 96 Panama 3.4% compare
  5. 97 Dominica 3.3% compare
  6. 98 Romania 3.2% compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia?
Affordability of cigarettes in Malaysia was 3.4% 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 2016.
What is the lowest affordability of cigarettes recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2012.
How does Malaysia rank for affordability of cigarettes?
Malaysia ranks 95th out of 176 countries with data for 2022.
Is affordability of cigarettes rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. 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/malaysia/

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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.