Tobacco: Global progress slows, Europe lags behind WHO targets

Despite a continuous decline in smoking over the past twenty years, the new report The World Health Organization's global report reveals a slowdown in the decline in tobacco consumption, which jeopardizes the achievement of the targets set for 2025. While several regions of the world, notably Africa, the Americas and Southeast Asia, have already reached or exceeded the 30 % reduction target, others - including Europe - are lagging well behind. The European continent remains today the region with the highest tobacco consumption, particularly among men, with one of the slowest rates of decline in the world.[1].

Mixed results on a global scale

According to the WHO Global Tobacco Trends Report 2000–2024 and Projections 2025–2030, the proportion of adults using tobacco has fallen from 33 % in 2000 to 19.5 % in 2024. This decline remains significant, but the world has not yet achieved the relative reduction of 30 % projected for 2025: current prevalence remains slightly above the target of 18.3 %. At this rate, the target is not expected to be reached until 2028.

The analysis reveals very contrasting regional trajectories. Africa, the Americas, and Southeast Asia are among the most dynamic regions. In Africa, the average prevalence fell from 13.4 % in 2010 to 9.3 % in 2025, thus reaching the global target. In the Americas, it decreased from 21.3 % to 13.6 %, a relative reduction of 36 %, while Southeast Asia recorded the largest decline, from 37.7 % to 22.7 %, allowing it to reach the target by 2021.

Conversely, the European, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions are lagging behind significantly, with progress remaining significantly below the global average. In Europe, prevalence still reaches 23.8 % in 2025, a relative reduction of only 19 % compared to 2010. In the Middle East region, the decline remains limited to 19 %, from 22 % to 17.8 %, while the Western Pacific region shows the smallest decline globally, to 12 %, with an average prevalence of 22.7 % and up to 43 % in men.

Gender gaps remain significant: 32.5% of men aged over 15 still smoke, compared to 6.6% of women, a ratio of five to one that has increased over the decades. Finally, the report highlights that the absolute number of smokers remains considerable: 1.2 billion people still use tobacco, including nearly one billion men. However, women remain a prime target for tobacco industry marketing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where female consumption rates remain lower. The WHO therefore calls for vigilance to prevent the progress observed in recent decades from being reversed.

Europe, the leading tobacco-consuming region

With nearly a quarter of its adult population consuming tobacco, Europe remains the most affected region in the world. The decline in smoking remains slow and uneven: 30.8% of men and 17.4% of women still smoked in 2024. In several Eastern and Southeastern European countries, male prevalence exceeds 35%, while female consumption remains stable at around 20% on average in Western European countries.

This situation reflects both heterogeneous national policies and the persistent influence of the tobacco industry, which continues to hamper the adoption of strong measures. This influence of the tobacco industry is all the more significant given that manufacturers achieve particularly high profit margins in these countries. In many Member States, tax increases, complete advertising bans, or smoke-free spaces remain poorly or not at all implemented, weakening the overall impact of public policies. As part of the publication of its new global report, the WHO calls on governments to strengthen and accelerate the implementation of tobacco control policies. The organization emphasizes that, despite the progress made, the slowdown observed in several countries jeopardizes the overall objectives set and risks leading to an avoidable increase in tobacco-related diseases and deaths. It warns that, "Without increased action, the current slowdown will translate directly into preventable deaths in the years to come." ".

This reminder comes at a time when the European Union is currently undergoing a review of the Tobacco Taxation Directive, a strategic text aimed at harmonizing taxation levels between Member States and better integrating public health considerations into tax policy. This review, currently being debated within the EU Council, could help increase tobacco price convergence and reduce the disparities that still fuel cross-border trade. Several Member States support an ambitious approach incorporating an increase in excise duties on tobacco products, while others, citing economic arguments, are holding back discussions. For the WHO, upward tax harmonization remains one of the most effective levers for accelerating the decline in smoking on the continent.

Global call to accelerate tobacco control

The new WHO report is accompanied by an observation shared by several experts, notably those from The Union[2], authors of a recent analysis published in the blog of the British Medical Journal. According to them, the implementation of the Global Tobacco Control Treaty (FCTC) is tending to lose momentum: while the policies adopted over the last twenty years have led to a historic decline in smoking, their pace of implementation and level of ambition have weakened in many countries. This slowdown coincides with the deployment of a new global strategy by the tobacco industry aimed at reconquering and diversifying its markets, notably through the promotion of new nicotine products and the repositioning of its discourse around "harm reduction".

In light of this situation, they call on States to rekindle their commitment and strengthen the implementation of the treaty's provisions. The organization emphasizes the need to complement existing obligations, particularly those that remain insufficiently enforced: deterrent taxation, comprehensive bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, and the protection of public policies from tobacco industry interference, in accordance with Article 5.3 of the FCTC.

They also encourage governments to go beyond the provisions of the treaty defined in the early 2000s, as permitted by Article 2.1. This implementation of new measures in line with the evolution of scientific knowledge and the epidemic in the Parties includes in particular the strengthening of restrictions on marketing, the regulation of new tobacco and nicotine products and the implementation of policies to reduce nicotine dependence. They also incorporate the principle of the prohibition of generational sales. The recommendations made by the experts of The Union converge with those of the WHO: only a strong, proactive and integrated approach will make it possible to maintain the global momentum of reducing tobacco use.

Finally, the organization calls for increased funding for tobacco control programs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where a lack of human and technical resources still hinders law enforcement. It also emphasizes the need for increased international support through the sharing of expertise and best practices among states parties to the treaty.

This call aims to prevent the progress made over the past twenty years from stalling or being reversed. The WHO reiterates that tobacco control must remain a central priority of public health and sustainable development policies. Full implementation of the FCTC remains essential to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by 2030 and contribute to reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases that threaten healthcare systems.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, WHO tobacco trends report: 1 in 5 adults still addicted to tobacco, WHO, published on 6 October 2025, consulted the same day

[2] Les Hagen, Garima Bhatt, Rakesh Gupta, Sonu Goel, Opinder Preet Kaur Gill & Tara Singh Bam, Report Reveals that Tobacco Control Treaty Progress is Slipping , BMJ Blog, published October 7, 2025, accessed the same day