Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 79.3 million people (75.9 million males and 3.5 million females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Indonesia. This positions the country as the 3rd globally and the 2nd in the WHO South-East Asia Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
- In 2021, 1% of people (0.9% males and 1.1% females) aged 15 years and older were current smokeless tobacco users.
- In 2019, 19.2% of youths (35.6% boys and 3.5% girls) aged 13-15 were current tobacco users in Indonesia.
- In 2019, 1.0% of youths (1.4% boys and 0.7% girls) aged 13-15 were current smokeless tobacco users.
- The volume of white and kretek cigarettes combined was 301 billion sticks or 52.7 pack per capita in 2022, that is 1.5% less than that of 55.5 packs per capita in 2010. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Nicotine Alternatives
- In 2021, 3.0% of people (5.8% males and 0.3% females) aged 15 years and older were current e-cigarette users in Indonesia. Further, 0.3% of adults (0.6% males and 0.0% females) were daily 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 deaths and disability combined in Indonesia.
- Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 268.6 thousand deaths, which is about 23.3% of total deaths.
- Of tobacco-related deaths, 223.5 thousand or 83.2% were due to smoking, and 52.7 thousand or 19.6% were due to secondhand smoke.
- In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Indonesia included Stroke ranking 1st, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 2nd, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 6th and Lung Cancer ranking 9th.
- Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 70.0 thousand or 27.4% of all IHD deaths, 72.9 thousand or 20.8% of all Stroke deaths, 29.4 thousand or 81.0% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 39.8 thousand or 65.5% of all COPD deaths.
- In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 8.3 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 20.9% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounted for 2.1 million DALYs for IHD, 2.2 million DALYs for Stroke, 770.2 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 999.1 thousand DALYs for COPD.
- In 2019, the cost of treating tobacco was estimated to be RP 17.9-27.7 trillion (1% – 0.2% of the country’s GDP).
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
- Indonesia has neither ratified the WHO FCTC nor the WHO Illicit Trade Protocol as of 2023.
- Indonesia adopted graphical health warnings (GHWs) on combustible cigarettes (CCs) in 2014, covering 40% of the front and 40% of the back of the packages.
Diverse Tobacco Market
- Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes with or without nicotine are available in Indonesia. E-cigarettes with or without nicotine content are classified as consumer products, while HTPs are not classified yet but treated as tobacco products.
- Text health warnings are mandatory for HTPs and e-cigarettes with nicotine, covering 30% of both the inner and outer surface of the packaging.
Taxation Policy
- In 2022, the total tax rate on the retail price of a pack of cigarettes was 72.9%.
- As of 2023, HTPs in Indonesia are subject to a specific excise tax of IDR 2,886 (USD 0.183)/gram of tobacco content. Meanwhile, e-cigarettes are subject to a specific excise tax of IDR 532.00 (USD 0.03)/ml of e-liquid for the open system and IDR 6,392.00 (USD 0.39)/ml of e-liquid for the closed system.
- In 2023, Indonesia applies a differential excise tax policy between CCs and HTPs, with the excise rate for HTPs being IDR 17,604.60/pack reflecting a 52.22% share of the respective retail price (IDR 33,714.70/pack), as compared to the excise rate for CCs, which is IDR 23,860.00/pack, reflecting a 50.13% share of the respective retail price (IDR 47,600.00/pack).
Smoking and Advertising Bans 4
- Minimal smoking bans with moderate level of compliance, and weak advertising bans with unknown level of compliance were enforced in Indonesia in 2022.
- HTPs and e-cigarettes are treated as tobacco products and are subject to the same smoking and advertising bans as CCs.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products, e-cigarettes and HTPs cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age in Indonesia.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
- Estimated figures indicate that illicit cigarette trade has been fluctuating around 7.0% in Indonesia, raising from 5.7% in 2005, peaking at 7.1% in 2022, and falling to 6.9% in 2023. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Tobacco Production and Diversification
- In 2022, Indonesia produced about 225.6 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, accounting for approximately 3.9% of the global production of 5.8 million tons. This positioned Indonesia as the 4th largest tobacco producer in the world.
- Compared to 2010, when Indonesia produced about 135.7 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 66.2% increase by 2022.
- In 2022, Indonesia utilized approximately 204.9 thousand hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 5.3% decrease compared to 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])
