Affordability of cigarettes in South Africa
South Africa: Affordability of cigarettes was 3.9% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Affordability of cigarettes in South Africa, 2012–2022
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, affordability of cigarettes in South Africa stood at 3.9%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.4% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, affordability of cigarettes in South Africa peaked at 4.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 2022.
That places South Africa 85th out of 176 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is affordability of cigarettes in South Africa?
- Affordability of cigarettes in South Africa was 3.9% 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest affordability of cigarettes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for affordability of cigarettes?
- South Africa ranks 85th out of 176 countries with data for 2022.
- Is affordability of cigarettes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The 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.