Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 1.5 million people (1.5 million males and 4.0 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Azerbaijan. This positions the country as the 70th globally and the 25th in the WHO European Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
In 2011, 0.2% of adults (0.2% males and 0% females) aged 18+ years used smokeless tobacco.
In 2017 – 2018, 3.5% of boys and 2% of girls aged 13-15 years were current cigarette smokers.
In 2017 – 2018, 1.8% of youths (2.4% boys and 1.1% girls) aged 13-15 years were current smokeless tobacco users.
It is estimated that the demand for cigarettes per capita fell by 22% from 70.4 packs in 2010 to 55.1 packs in 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Nicotine Alternatives
- Currently, there is no available data on prevalence of e-cigarettes in Azerbaijan.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 3rd highest risk factor driving the most death and disability combined in Azerbaijan.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 11.3 thousand deaths, which is about 25.2% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 8.7 thousand or 76.9% were due to smoking, and 3.1 thousand or 27.3% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Azerbaijan included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 1st, Stroke ranking 3rd, and Lung Cancer ranking 8th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 6.3 thousand or 27.9% of all IHD deaths, 1.4 thousand or 20.1% of all Stroke deaths, 1.1 thousand or 88.2% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 541.6 or 62.5% of all Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 338.0 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 22.5% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 157.9 thousand DALYs for IHD, 37.8 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 32.0 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 14.9 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
- Azerbaijan ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005.
Diverse Tobacco Market
Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes are available in Azerbaijan.
Combustible Cigarettes (CCs) and HTPs are subject to health warnings covering 30% of the both surfaces of packages. E-cigarettes do not have health warnings as of 2022.
Taxation Policy
In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 50.3%.
HTPs are defined in a new tax code and subject to a specific excise rate at AZN 14/1000 sticks in 2023.
E-cigarettes are subject to tier specific excise based on product type with AZN 100/liter for closed system and AZN 0.25/unit for the disposable ones.
Azerbaijan applies differential excise tax policy between HTPs and CCs. The excise value for HTPs is AZN 0.28/pack with the excise share (6.67%) on the retail selling price AZN 4.20/pack in 2023. The excise tax value for CCs is AZN 0.77/pack with the excise share (15.61%) of the retail selling price AZN 5.00/pack.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Minimal smoking bans with moderate level of compliance, and complete advertising bans with complete level of compliance were enforced in Azerbaijan in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products and e-cigarettes cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
- Estimates indicate that illicit cigarette trade in Azerbaijan nearly doubled from 7.4% in 2008 to 13.6% in 2018, and then sharply fell to 5.3% by 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Azerbaijan produced about 5.1 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, accounting for approximately 0.1% of the global production of 5.8 million tons. This positioned Azerbaijan as the 52nd largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Azerbaijan produced about 3.2 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 56.2% increase by 2022.
In 2022, Azerbaijan utilized approximately 2.4 thousand hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting an 80% increase compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])