Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 6.0 million people (5.9 million males and 90.1 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Malaysia. This positions the country as the 29th globally and the 6th in the WHO Western Pacific Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1
- In 2017, 20.9% of youths (9.6% girls and 32.4% boys) aged 13-17 years in Malaysia were current tobacco users.
- In 2017, 13.8% of youths (5.3% girls and 22.4% boys) aged 13-17 years were current cigarette smokers.
- In 2017, 6.3% of youths (4.3% girls and 8.2% boys) aged 13-17 years were current smokeless tobacco product users.
- It is estimated that the demand for cigarettes per capita reduced by 53% from 38.4 packs in 2010 to 12 packs in 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Nicotine Alternatives
- In 2019, 4.9% of adults (0.3% female and 9.4% male) aged 15-75 years were current e-cigarette users in Malaysia.
- In 2017, 9.8% of youths (2.8% girls and 17% boys) aged 13-17 were current e-cigarette users.
Health and Economic Burden from Tobacco Use
- In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 3rd highest risk factor driving the most deaths and disability combined in Malaysia.
- Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 24.1 thousand deaths, which is about 23.2% of total deaths.
- Of tobacco-related deaths, 19.3 thousand or 79.9% were due to smoking, and 5.7 thousand or 23.5% were due to secondhand smoke.
- In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Malaysia included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 1st, Stroke ranking 3rd, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 7th , and Lung Cancer ranking 9th.
- Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 7.5 thousand or 21.4% of all IHD deaths, 3.3 thousand or 16.4% of all Stroke deaths, 2.8 thousand or 83.3% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 3.0 thousand or 69.9% of all COPD deaths.
- In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 696.4 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 20.3% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 216.5 thousand DALYs for IHD, 100.2 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 69.9 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 69.4 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
- Malaysia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005.
- Malaysia adopted graphical health warnings (GHWs) on combustible cigarettes (CCs) in 2009, covering 50% of the front and 60% of the back of the packages.
Diverse Tobacco Market
- E-cigarettes are legally available and fall under the definition of smoking products.
- Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are regulated under the “Control of Tobacco Product Regulation (Amendment) 2015”.
Taxation Policy
- In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 51.6%.
- In 2023, e-cigarettes and HTPs are subject to specific excise taxes, with e-cigarettes containing nicotine taxed at MYR 0.40 per mL and HTPs at MYR 778 per kg.
- By the definition of excise application, a differential excise tax policy is applied between HTPs and CCs as of 2023. The excise value for HTPs is MYR 4.75/pack with its share (33.90%) of the retail selling price (MYR 14.00/pack), while the excise tax value for CCs is MYR 8.00/pack with its share (45.98%) of the retail selling price (MYR 17.40/pack).
Smoking and Advertising Bans2
- Weak smoking bans with unknown level of compliance, and moderate advertising bans with complete level of compliance were enforced in Malaysia in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
- Estimated figures show that illicit trade in Malaysia was 25.9% in 2008, increased to 64.8% in 2019, and was 57.5% in 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Tobacco Production and Diversification
- In 2022, Malaysia produced about 73.3 tons of unmanufactured tobacco. This positioned Malaysia as the 115th largest tobacco producer in the world.
- When compared to 2010, when Malaysia produced about 3.1 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 97.7% decrease by 2022.
- In 2022, Malaysia utilized approximately 63 hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 98.3% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])
