Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 2.1 million people (1.0 million males and 1.0 million females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Serbia. This positions the country as the 59th globally and the 19th in the WHO European Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
In 2019, 16.8% of youths (17.6% boys and 16% girls) aged 15-16 years were current cigarette smokers.
Demand for cigarettes reduced by 51.3% from 174.3 packs per capita in 2010 to 85 packs per capita in 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Nicotine Alternatives
In 2019, 1% of adults in Serbia (0.6% males and 1.2% females) aged 18 years and over were current e-cigarette users.
In 2019, 5.5% of youths (7.1% boys and 4% girls) aged 15-16 years were current e-cigarette users.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 2nd highest risk factor driving the most death and disability combined in Serbia.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 17.7 thousand deaths, which is about 20.9% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 14.8 thousand or 83.6% were due to smoking, and 3.6 thousand or 20.5% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Serbia included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 1st, Stroke ranking 2nd, Lung Cancer ranking 4th and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 9th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 4.9 thousand or 17.5% of all IHD deaths, 3.2 thousand or 12.9% of all Stroke deaths, 4.7 thousand or 88.0% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 1.5 thousand or 64.9% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 481.2 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 25.5% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 106.9 thousand DALYs for IHD, 69.4 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 120.9 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 37.8 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
- Serbia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2006, and WHO Illicit Trade Protocol in 2017.
Diverse Tobacco Market
- Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are legal and marketed, and e-cigarettes are classified as a “consumer product”.
Taxation Policy
In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 75.1%.
In 2023, excise for HTPs is estimated as RSD 6,072.15/kg, while excise on e-cigarettes irrespective of nicotine content is levied at RSD 8.00/ml.
A differential excise tax policy is applied between CCs and HTPs. The excise value for HTPs is RSD 44.95/pack, with its share (13.62%) on the retail price (RSD 330.00/pack) in 2023. The excise value of CCs is RSD 219.55/pack, with its share (53.55%) on retail selling price (RSD 410.00/pack) in 2023.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Minimal smoking bans with unknown level of compliance, and moderate advertising bans with unknown level of compliance were enforced in Serbia in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
- Estimated figures indicate that illicit cigarette trade in Serbia remained consistently below 10%, from 2008 starting at 5.9% to reaching 10.4% in 2022.
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Serbia produced about 6.6 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, accounting for approximately 0.1% of the global production of 5.8 million tons. This positioned Serbia as the 46th largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Serbia produced about 10.4 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 36.8% decrease by 2022.
In 2022, Serbia utilized approximately 5.1 thousand hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 11.7% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])