Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 834.9 thousand people (571.6 thousand males and 266.6 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Dominican Republic. This positions the country as the 93rd globally and the 14th in the WHO Region of the Americas in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
According to Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in 2019, 1.9% of males and 0.3% of females aged 15-49 years in Dominican Republic were current smokeless tobacco users.
In 2016, 7.4% of youths (8.3% boys and 6% girls) aged 13-15 years were current tobacco users. 2.4% of youths (2.4% boys and 1.8% girls) were current cigarette smokers.
In 2016, 3.1% of youths (4.2% boys and 2.3% girls) aged 13-15 years were current smokeless tobacco users.
Nicotine Alternatives
- In 2016, 7.7% of youths in Dominican Republic (7.9% boys and 6.9% girls) aged 13-15 years were current e-cigarette users.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 6th highest risk factor driving the most death and disability combined in Dominican Republic.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 6.4 thousand deaths, which is about 16.8% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 5.7 thousand or 90.1% were due to smoking, and 765.2 or 12.0% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Dominican Republic included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 1st, and Stroke ranking 2nd.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 2.5 thousand or 20.7% of all IHD deaths, 916.4 or 16.8% of all Stroke deaths, 817.6 or 84.6% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 539.5 or 71.1% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 176.8 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 12.2% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 64.2 thousand DALYs for IHD, 24.4 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 19.6 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 11.7 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
- Dominican Republic has not ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Diverse Tobacco Market
- Heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, are allowed and marketed.
Taxation Policy
In 2022, the total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarettes was 44.7%.
HTPs are subject to ad valorem excise of 20% of the manufacturer’s price. Currently there is no excise levied on e-cigarettes.
Dominican Republic applies differential excise tax policy between combustible cigarettes (CCs) and HTPs. The excise value for HTPs is DOP 42.37/pack with its excise share (16.95%) of retail selling price DOP 250.00/pack, while the excise value DOP 98.95/pack with its excise share (32.98%) of the retail selling price DOP 300.00/pack in 2023.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Minimal smoking bans with moderate level of compliance, and weak advertising bans with unknown level of compliance are enforced in Dominican Republic in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
- Estimated figures indicate that the level of illicit cigarette trade has been significant in Dominican Republic with 20% in 2008 and consistently increasing to reach 40.4% in 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Dominican Republic produced about 10.1 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, accounting for approximately 0.2% of the global production of 5.8 million tons. This positioned Dominican Republic as the 37th largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Dominican Republic produced about 8.1 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 25.4% increase by 2022.
In 2022, Dominican Republic utilized approximately 7.4 thousand hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 41.1% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])