Russia Report: E-Cigarette Use Up Nearly 20% in 2024, Traditional Smoking Down 2%

Key Points:

1.In 2024, the number of e-cigarette consumers in Russia increased by 19% to reach 5.3 million.

2.In some regions of Russia, e-cigarette usage rates are over 50%, while in other areas it is close to zero.

3.In the past two years, e-cigarette consumption has increased by nearly a quarter, while traditional tobacco consumption has declined.

4.The combined usage rate of e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco has risen to 22.2%.

According to a report by TASS on May 27th, analysis data prepared by the auditing consulting network "FinExpertiza" shows that the total number of e-cigarette consumers in Russia increased by 19% in 2024, reaching 5.3 million people.

Data shows that in the Magadan region and Chukotka in Russia, 51% of smokers choose to use e-cigarettes. In Moscow, this percentage is 38.2%; in Volgograd Oblast it is 32.4%; in Astrakhan Oblast it is 27.4%; in St. Petersburg it is 27.2%; in Sverdlovsk Oblast it is 27%; in Sevastopol it is 25.4%; in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug it is 25.3%; and in Novgorod Oblast it is 24.9%. The regions with the lowest e-cigarette usage rates include Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, and Kalmykia, where no e-cigarette consumers have been recorded. Additionally, the e-cigarette usage rate in Karachay-Cherkessia is 0.9%, in Dagestan it is 2.2%, in Khakassia it is 3.6%, in Kabardino-Balkaria it is 4.7%, in Buryatia it is 5%, and in Kurgan Oblast it is 5.5%.

Elena Trubnikova, President of FinExpertiza, highlighted a steady increase in the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices among residents. Over the past two years, e-cigarette users have grown by nearly a quarter, reaching approximately 1 million people. At the same time, traditional tobacco users have decreased by 2%, with a decrease of about 500,000 people. In 2024, the overall number of smokers is expected to increase, primarily driven by the growth of e-cigarette device users.

The report emphasizes that by 2024, the proportion of comprehensive nicotine dependents, including cigarette, electronic device, and smokeless tobacco users, has increased from 21.1% to 22.2%. The analysis is based on smoking prevalence data provided by the Russian Federal State Statistics Service.