Smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland

Ireland: Smoking prevalence by sex was 16.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
16.0%
Change on year
down 11.1%
World rank
31st
of 38 countries
All-time high
31.0%
in 2009
All-time low
16.0%
in 2023
Years of data
7
2006–2023

Smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland, 2006–2023

01020302006201420232006: 29 Percentage of total population2009: 31 Percentage of total population2012: 29 Percentage of total population2014: 22 Percentage of total population2017: 19 Percentage of total population2020: 18 Percentage of total population2023: 16 Percentage of total population

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage of total population.

Analysis

Ireland recorded 16.0% for smoking prevalence by sex in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

That represents a change of down 11.1% on the previous year and down 44.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland peaked at 31.0% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 2023.

Ireland ranks 31st of 38 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland, 2006 to 2023.
Year Percentage of total population Change
2006 29.0% —
2009 31.0% +6.9%
2012 29.0% -6.5%
2014 22.0% -24.1%
2017 19.0% -13.6%
2020 18.0% -5.3%
2023 16.0% -11.1%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 16.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.0%, 67% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 16.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 24.0%, 67% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 30.0% 29.0% 31.0% 2
2010s 23.3% 19.0% 29.0% 3
2020s 17.0% 16.0% 18.0% 2

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 28 Belgium 21.0% compare
  2. 28 Portugal 21.0% compare
  3. 30 Luxembourg 19.0% compare
  4. 32 Finland 15.0% compare
  5. 33 Denmark 14.0% compare
  6. 34 United Kingdom 12.0% compare
  7. 34 United Kingdom 12.0% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland?
Smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland was 16.0% in 2023, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest smoking prevalence by sex recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 31.0% in 2009.
What is the lowest smoking prevalence by sex recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 2023.
How does Ireland rank for smoking prevalence by sex?
Ireland ranks 31st out of 38 countries with data for 2023.
Is smoking prevalence by sex rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 44.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Smoking prevalence by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Smoking prevalence by sex in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/smoking-prevalence-by-sex/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Smoking prevalence by sex
Unit
Percentage of total population
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
39 places, 268 data points, 2006–2023
Last refreshed