Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 490.9 thousand people (469.0 thousand males and 21.4 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Armenia. This positions the country as the 113th globally and the 39th in the WHO European Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
- For comparison, according to the STEPS survey in 2016, 0.3% of adults (0.5% male and 0% female) aged 18-69 years used smokeless tobacco in Armenia.
- In 2017-2018, 11.5% of boys and 1% girls aged 13-15 years were current cigarette smokers.
- In 2009, 4.4% of youths (6% boys and 3% girls) aged 13-15 years were current smokeless tobacco users
Nicotine Alternatives
- Currently, there is no available data on prevalence of e-cigarettes in Armenia.
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 Armenia.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 5.1 thousand deaths, which is about 29.1% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 4.2 thousand or 82.5% were due to smoking, and 1.1 thousand or 21.5% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Armenia included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 1st, Stroke ranking 3rd, Lung Cancer ranking 4th and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 7th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 2.3 thousand or 27.2% of all IHD deaths, 476.5 or 19.5% of all Stroke deaths, 889.8 or 86.7% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 298 or 60.9% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 130.3 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 29.0% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 51.5 thousand DALYs for IHD, 12.0 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 22.1 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 6.6 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
Armenia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004.
Armenia adopted graphical health warnings (GHWs) on combustible cigarettes (CCs) in 2017, covering 50% of the front and 50% of the back of the packages.
Diverse Tobacco Market
E-cigarettes with and without nicotine are legally available and regulated under the tobacco framework as “tobacco substitutes”. Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are also available and marketed.
Product restrictions for e-cigarettes include a maximum nicotine concentration to 20mg/ml, the tank capacity not exceeding 2ml, and refill containers limited to a maximum 10ml.
Text health warnings cover 30% of both surfaces for HTPs and e-cigarettes.
Taxation Policy
In 2022, the total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 48.5%.
HTPs are defined in a new tax code and subject to a specific rate at AMD 3,100/1000 sticks. E-cigarettes are subject to specific excise rate at AMD 55/ml in 2023.
Armenia applies differential excise tax policy between CCs and HTPs. Excise value for HTPs is AMD 62.00/pack, with its share (8.27%) on the retail price (AMD 750.00) in 2023. The excise value for CCs is AMD 292.80/pack with excise tax shares of 29.28% on retail selling price of AMD 1000.00/pack.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Moderate smoking bans with moderate level of compliance, and complete advertising bans with moderate level of compliance were enforced in Armenia in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco and e-cigarettes with nicotine cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Armenia produced about 976 tons of unmanufactured tobacco. This positioned Armenia as the 88th largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Armenia produced about 1.4 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 29.1% decrease by 2022.
In 2022, Armenia utilized approximately 316 hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 24.2% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])