Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 1.7 million people (1.3 million males and 498.9 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Cuba. This positions the country as the 66th globally and the 9th in the WHO Region of the Americas in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
- In 2018, 11.5% of youths (13% boys and 9.7% girls) aged 13-15 years in Cuba were current tobacco users. In the same year, 8.7% of youths (10.2% boys and 7.1% girls) aged 13-15 years in Cuba were current cigarette smokers.
- In 2018, 2.3% of youths (1.9% boys and 2.6% girls) aged 13-15 years were current smokeless tobacco product users.
Nicotine Alternatives
In 2018, 6.1% of youths (7.6% boys and 4.2% girls) aged 13-15 were current e-cigarette users in Cuba.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 1st highest risk factor driving the most deaths and disability combined in Cuba.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 15.3 thousand deaths, which is about 24.8% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 13.3 thousand or 87.2% were due to smoking, and 2.4 thousand or 15.9% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Cuba included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 2nd, Stroke ranking 3rd, Lung Cancer ranking 5th and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 6th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 3.8 thousand or 19.9% of all IHD deaths, 1.4 thousand or 16.0% of all Stroke deaths, 3.8 thousand or 85.8% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 1.8 thousand or 67.9% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 391.0 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 24.0% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 90.4 thousand DALYs for IHD, 34.8 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 88.9 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 40.8 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
- Cuba is not the parties of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Diverse Tobacco Market
- Currently, there is no information available.
Taxation Policy
- In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 10.0%.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Minimal smoking bans with moderate level of compliance, and weak advertising bans with unknown level of compliance were enforced in Cuba in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Cuba produced about 19.0 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, accounting for approximately 0.3% of the global production of 5.8 million tons. This positioned Cuba as the 30th largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Cuba produced about 20.5 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 7.1% decrease by 2022.
In 2022, Cuba utilized approximately 12.1 thousand hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 40.2% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])