Smokers spend N146,000 yearly on cigarettes, statistics show

More people are smoking now than ever. In metropolitan cities like Lagos, finding a non-smoker can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.

According to statistics published in the medical magazine The Lancet, the number of active smokers in 2019 has increased to 1.14 billion (1,140,000,000) people globally.

Smoking is still as deadly as ever. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that smoking kills eight million people every year.

In a bid to reduce the number of people who smoke and drink, most countries have a very high value-added tax for cigarettes and alcohol.

Picodi.com surveyed how much people spend a year on cigarettes and came up with interesting statistics.

"Smokers in Australia pay the most for cigarettes. A pack of 20 cigarettes costs nearly $25.63. This high price is a result of the Australian government’s policy to reduce smoking. The excise tax in this country has increased by 12.5% in the years 2013–2020." Picordi reports.

"New Zealand ($24.75 per packet), Ireland ($16.59) and the United Kingdom ($15.66) are also among the countries with the most expensive cigarettes."

Nigerians ranked average. It is not too high or low but still a significant hole in your pocket considering the income bracket in Nigeria.

According to Picodi, "Nigeria ranked last with an average price of ₦400 ($0.97) per packet. In Nigeria, a smoker who consumes one pack a day will spend ₦146,000 ($355) a year on cigarettes. This is equivalent to 17% of the country’s average annual income."

Most habits can be expensive but few combine waste of resources and damage to your health as smoking. This seems like a good reason to quit smoking cigarettes.