Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 524.1 thousand people (447.8 thousand males and 77.4 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Albania. This positions the country as the 111th globally and the 38th in the WHO European Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
- In 2020, 15.3% of youths (20.2% boys and 9.9% girls) aged 13-15 years were current tobacco users.
- In 2020, 2.7% of youths (2.9% boys and 2.1% girls) aged 13-15 years were current smokeless tobacco users.
- Estimates indicate that per capita cigarette consumption in Albania decreased by 6.3% from 2220 sticks in 2018 to 2080 sticks in 2022.
Nicotine Alternatives
- In 2020, 9.3% of youths (14.2% boys and 4.1% girls) aged 13-15 years were currently use e-cigarettes in Albania.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 2nd highest risk factor driving the most deaths and disability combined in Albania.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 4.7 thousand deaths, which is about 29.8% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 4.1 thousand or 85.8% were due to smoking, and 857.8 or 18.1% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Albania included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 1st, Stroke ranking 2nd, Lung Cancer ranking 4th and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 6th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 1.7 thousand or 28.9% of all IHD deaths, 1.1 thousand or 21.0% of all Stroke deaths, 816.8 or 90.8% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 365.4 or 76.6% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 110.4 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 29.4% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 33.7 thousand DALYs for IHD, 19.4 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 18.8 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 8.1 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
Albania ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2006.
Albania adopted graphical health warnings (GHWs) on combustible cigarettes (CCs) in 2022, covering 65% of the front and 65% of the back of the packages.
Diverse Tobacco Market
Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) is not marketed in Albania. E-cigarettes do not have a specific classification.
HTPs do not require graphic health warning but require text health warnings covering 30% of the surface of the package unit and outer packaging.
Taxation Policy
In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 66.7%.
HTPs are subject to specific excise tax at ALL 7,250.00 per kg in 2023, with rates progressively increasing to ALL 8,750.00 per kg in 2026.
A differential excise tax policy is applied between CCs and HTPs. The excise value of HTP is ALL 44.23/pack with its share (13.82%) on the retail selling price ALL 320.00/pack while the excise value for CCs is ALL 140.00/pack with its share (38.89%) on the retail selling price ALL 360.00/pack in 2023.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
Complete smoking bans with complete level of compliance, and complete advertising bans with complete level of compliance were enforced in Albania in 2022.
Similar to tobacco products, HTP usage is prohibited in public places including health and education facilities, public transportation, closed work places and hospitality sector such as restaurants and pubs. Advertising bans that apply to CCs also apply to HTPs.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco and e-cigarettes cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
Based on a study in 2019, 29.3% of cigarette consumption (6.4% combustible cigarettes, 74% hand rolled tobacco) in Albania was illicit.
Furthermore, on average, 19.4% of smokers (5.6% of combustible cigarette smokers and 68.3% of hand rolled tobacco smokers) age between 18 and 85 years of age in Albania use illicit tobacco products.
Tobacco Production and Diversification
Albania is not a major producer of unmanufactured tobacco. In 2022, Albania produced about 1.8 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco.
When compared to 2010, when Albania produced about 1.7 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 5.4% increase by 2022.
In 2022, Albania utilized approximately 833 hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 30.6% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])