Western Europe

Cigarettes were in decline in Western Europe in 2022, but sales of next-generation products were increasing – with this expected to continue in the coming years. Disposable vapes recorded dynamic growth in the UK, the region’s biggest e-vapour…

In 2023, the retail value sales of cigarettes in Austria continued their downward trajectory, dropping below pre-COVID-19 volume sales levels of 2019. During the pandemic, cigarette consumption had seen a temporary boost due to increased consumption…

Sales of cigarettes continued their downward trend in Belgium throughout 2023. This decline can be attributed to several factors. The Belgian government significantly increased excise duties on cigarettes in 2023, leading to higher prices that…

Retail volumes sales of cigarettes in Denmark continued to see a double-digit decline in 2023. This performance fits with a general downward trajectory in the smoking prevalence for cigarettes in the market, as taxation, health and wellness trends…

Volume sales of cigarettes in Finland continued to decline in 2023. Finns are very aware of the harmful impact of smoking, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a clear polarisation taking place between those who smoke and…

Cigarettes saw volume sales decline in France in 2023. Legal sales of cigarettes were forced to take another backseat in 2023. Having seen no tax increase in 2022 (the immediate post-pandemic period), taxes rose again in 2023, which resulted in a…

During the pandemic, cigarette consumption benefitted from remote working as well as high levels of stress among the local population. Moreover, consumers were not able to cross borders during the lockdowns to buy their cigarettes in neighbouring…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes in Greece posted a decline in 2023, following the sluggish performance of the previous year. This occurred within the context of rising levels of health awareness in the country, which had a negative impact on…

In 2023, the Irish cigarette market continued to decline, with volume sales dropping fast. Many factors contributed to this double-digit decline – the high cost of living and rising tobacco product taxes are two of the main causes. Ireland is…

Cigarettes in Italy continued to decline in volume terms in 2023, as the number of cigarette smokers diminish. At the same time, the rising tax on cigarettes is pushing up prices, supporting value sales but also acting as a deterrent to cigarette…

Volume sales of cigarettes continued to decline in Norway in 2023. Smoking prevalence dropped in 2023 compared to 2022 with more people quitting smoking or switching to smokeless tobacco such as snus. The government is making concerted efforts to…

Despite the positive impact from sales to tourists, this was not enough to prevent cigarettes from declining in in retail volume terms in 2023. The difficult economic context, high inflation and relevant price increases on cigarettes due to tax…

Cigarettes experienced significant value growth in Spain in 2023. The increase in value sales was driven by inflation and an increase in unit prices. However, even though value sales increased, volume sales registered a decline, largely due to the…

In 2023, retail volume sales of cigarettes declined marginally in Sweden. The Swedish government’s strategy to reduce the smoking rate has been successful with smoking prevalence steadily falling to a record low of 5.5% in 2023, which is extremely…

The long-term trend of declining volume sales of cigarettes continued in 2022, with consumers increasingly aware of the levels of harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke. Cigarettes posted negative performances in both retail volume and current value…

Cigarettes saw another year of retail volume decline in 2023, with the smoking prevalence continuing to fall in the Netherlands, and the number of young people starting to smoke also decreasing. With the regulatory environment becoming ever stricter…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes in the UK declined by double digits in 2023, even though smoking prevalence experienced a limited drop. The main reason behind the highest decline in legal cigarette sales in the last decade was the significant unit…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes in Turkey declined sharply in 2022. The contraction was mainly due to spiralling inflation fuelled by the depreciation of the lira, the global recovery from the pandemic and the fallout of Russia’s invasion of…

The pandemic caused notable behavioural change in most consumers, with government regulations contributing to disparate affects on the channel distribution, brand success and overall growth of cigarette markets across Western Europe. Rising taxation,…

Volume sales of cigars and cigarillos continued to decrease in Austria in 2023, but at a significantly slower rate than cigarettes. Demand for these products experienced a strong push during the pandemic, and volume sales for both cigars and…

Smoking tobacco experienced a significant decline in Belgium during 2023, primarily driven by escalating prices following recent excise hikes. The skyrocketing prices have led to a sharp reduction in sales, particularly to French consumers who…

Overall, retail volume sales of cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Denmark continued to see a double-digit decline in 2023. The demand for these types of tobacco products remained negatively affected as they tend to have an older consumer…

The market for cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Finland showed a mixed performance in 2023. On a positive note, cigars managed to maintain the broadly positive growth trend which had been in evidence since the start of the pandemic. The…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco saw volumes continue to fall in France in 2023. By comparison with other categories, fine cut tobacco was spared during the COVID-19 years due to the fact that it was subject to lower taxation than cigarettes.…

Fine cut tobacco volume sales recorded positive growth in 2022 following the decline seen in 2021, with actual volume sales in 2022 remaining above their pre-pandemic level, helped by the strong growth seen in 2020. The continued prevalence of remote…

The market for cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Greece saw a decline in volume sales in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. While the largest product area, fine cut tobacco, has proved to be more resilient than cigarettes,…

In 2023, retail volume sales of cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Ireland continued their downward trend. While cigars and cigarillos are not subject to as many tax increases as cigarettes, in comparison to some other European countries they…

Sales in cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Italy were supported by the positive performance of smoking tobacco in 2023. Indeed, smoking tobacco managed to achieve positive volume sales, as well as value sales, due to such products offering a…

Sales of cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco declined in retail volume terms in 2023. The resumption of cross border trade with Sweden together with price increases in Norway were among the drivers of this decline. During the height of the…

Despite the prices of cigarillos increasing these products still benefited from a more favourable taxation during 2023, and lower average prices compared to cigarettes. Due to a more significant increase in the prices of cigarettes some consumers…

Cigars and cigarillos saw volume sales fall in Spain in 2023, though smoking tobacco volumes rose significantly during the year. Fine cut tobacco continued to register significant growth in the final year of the review period. Demand continued to…

Smoking tobacco and cigarillos are both steadily losing popularity in Sweden, particularly among young adults who have been switching to snus and nicotine pouches. Border trade is typical in tobacco products within the Nordic region, with the return…

Sales of both cigars and cigarillos recorded solid retail volume growth in 2022. Many smokers consider cigar smoking as an occasional indulgence rather than a daily necessity, and are less likely to try to quit smoking or to reduce their consumption…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in the Netherlands has been significantly impacted by excise tax increases, particularly for smoking tobacco, which have aligned with hikes in cigarette taxes. On 1 Apr 2023, excise increased on smoking tobacco,…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in the UK returned to positive value growth in 2023, after experiencing a decline the previous year. This growth was mainly driven by a significant rise in unit prices across the category, boosted by constantly…

Fine cut tobacco was by far the most dynamic performer within cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Turkey in volume sales terms in 2022, recording a triple-digit growth rate. Because these products are significantly cheaper and more economical…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with income inequality, mass migration and rising uncertainty about another crisis being among the major ones. Nevertheless, within this lie untapped opportunities. This…

Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

This report considers what socialising will look like in a post-COVID-19 era, focusing on several key questions. A return to the “Roaring Twenties” in the beverages space or a continuing decimation of the on-trade? How has socialising changed (eg…

As in 2022, smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Denmark did not see uniform retail volume sales developments at the end of the review period. In this vein, retail volume sales of chewing tobacco and e-vapour products continued…

In 2022, next-generation products were gaining a bigger share in the tobacco market. Heated tobacco in particular was growing in significance in the overall German tobacco market. Philip Morris’ Iqos brand has firmly established itself in the heated…

The market for smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Greece saw vibrant growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Manufacturers are increasingly shifting their focus away from traditional tobacco products, and towards new-generation…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco saw growth driven by closed system single use vapes in Ireland in 2023, with double-digit growth in volume and value. The growing popularity of disposable vapes is the result of their low…

Sweden continues to invest in its unique ‘harm reduction’ policy in efforts to try to reduce smoking cigarettes. Indeed, the country’s low smoking rate is widely reported in the international media. In 2022-2023, there was a clear increase in vaping…

Heated tobacco products saw strong growth in 2023, solidifying their position as the most established nicotine source next to cigarette smoking in Austria. Consumers widely perceive these products as less harmful than cigarettes, making them a…

In 2022, heated tobacco products maintained a strong performance, as more smokers adopted these as an alternative to cigarettes. Price promotions on devices, notably the entry-level compact device Iqos Iluma One by Philip Morris, contributed to…