Eastern Europe

Despite the declining prevalence of smoking in Poland, the cigarettes category performed exceptionally well in 2022, exceeding industry expectations. Several factors contributed to this upward trend, including declining sales of illicit cigarettes,…

Smoking prevalence continued to decline in North Macedonia in 2022 under the influence of the health and wellness trends, as fewer people are starting to smoke, especially amongst younger generations. This trend negatively impacted sales of…

Heated tobacco was the fastest growing tobacco product in Slovenia in 2022, with volume sales increasing significantly. Consumers see it as a compromise between smoking and adapting a habit that is less harmful for their health. While promotion of…

For e-vapour products, there was a significant increase in constant value sales. In particular, closed single-use vaping systems registered growth, though from a low base. Since the main consumers of e-vapour products are young, they have limited…

The dynamic value growth seen in 2022 was almost exclusively due to the strong performance of heated tobacco. Heated tobacco is locally produced in Romania and is widely distributed through small local grocers, which are a popular channel for buying…

Heated tobacco and tobacco heating devices performed strongly in 2022, with both categories recording double-digit growth in volume and current value terms. This was partly because sales were emerging from a relatively low base, as these product…

The heated tobacco category is experiencing dynamic value growth as smokers are attracted by the promise of lower health risks compared to traditional cigarettes. It holds strong appeal among younger generations of legal smoking age, who are drawn to…

Cigars and cigarillos registered significant volume decline in 2022. With cigars and cigarillos being more expensive than cigarettes, smokers opted for cigarettes instead, due to high inflation. In addition, with pandemic restrictions being…

While volume sales fell for cigarettes in 2022, it was a different story for cigars and cigarillos. Several factors led to a healthy volume increase. Firstly, with pandemic restrictions completely removed, and people socialising again, this boosted…

New products stimulated category growth during the pandemic, when more time spent at home and a change in lifestyles saw more Romanians turn to cigars and cigarillos. These tobacco products are perceived as an exotic alternative and have been used by…

Fine cut tobacco is gaining popularity in 2022, especially among younger consumers who are attracted by its lower unit price compared to cigarettes. With inflation rates spiking in 2022, the rising cost of living in Poland has prompted some smokers…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco continued to achieve very strong volume growth rates in 2022. Cigars achieved the fastest growth, driven by the growing demand amongst younger adult consumers who often consume these products to showcase…

Volume sales increased significantly in 2022, in spite of high inflation stemming from the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Part of the reason for the increased consumption of cigarettes was high stress levels, due to the uncertain…

In 2022, there was a further fall in volume sales. Twice yearly tax hikes on cigarettes, which are scheduled to continue until 2025, are making cigarettes very expensive. This was on top of high inflation in 2022, which was caused by an energy…

Retail volume growth in 2022 was boosted by a recovery in socialising following the total elimination of COVID-19 restrictions in March of the same year. The elimination of restrictions was brought about by a substantial reduction in COVID-19…

Although smoking prevalence among the local population continued to decline in 2022, retail sales of cigarettes continued to rise in value and volume terms. The ongoing decline of illicit cigarettes has boosted retail volume sales in Poland, with…

Cigarettes continued to decline in volume terms in 2022 as a result of the trend of waning smoking prevalence. The generational shift has contributed to enhancing the influence of the increasingly prominent health and wellness trend, which is driving…

Cigarette consumption recorded further decline in the Czech Republic in 2022, with traditional cigarette smokers, mainly young adults, continuing to migrate to heated tobacco, closed vaping systems and nicotine pouches, which are perceived as less…

In 2022, smoking prevalence in Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced a moderate decline. Despite this, the tobacco industry saw positive value growth primarily driven by price increases.

E-vapour products and heated tobacco witnessed significant progress in 2022 as consumer preferences shifted away from cigarettes. This transition towards reduced harm options and alternatives was driven by heightened awareness of the detrimental…