Global Increase in E-cigarette Users: Latest Research Findings

According to the latest research from the Knowledge Action Change (KAC) project's Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) report released by a UK public health agency, the number of global users of electronic cigarettes has significantly increased.

A new peer-reviewed article published on April 17th in the Journal of Drugs, Habits, and Social Policy estimated that there are currently 82 million e-cigarette users worldwide in 2021. This represents a 20% increase from the number of users in 2020.

The main conclusions of this paper are:

Electronic cigarette user numbers

In 2021, there are a total of 82 million e-cigarette users worldwide, with 9.2 million in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 5.6 million in Africa, 20.1 million in Europe, 16.8 million in the Americas, 16 million in the Western Pacific region, and 14.3 million in Southeast Asia.

Global E-cigarette Users | Image Source: Original Research Paper

The number of users has increased.

From 2018 to 2021, the number of electronic cigarette users has grown by nearly 30%.

From 2020 to 2021, the number of e-cigarette users has increased by nearly 20%.

The global number of smokers

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there are close to one billion (984 million) smokers worldwide, representing roughly one-fifth of the adult population.

Approximately 80% of smokers live in low and middle-income countries, with 46% residing in three specific countries: China, India, and Indonesia.

Electronic cigarette sales market size

Market value data for electronic cigarette sales in different regions for the year 2021:

The market size in the United States is $10.3 billion, with the largest market in Canada having a size of $1.4 billion. The market size in Western Europe is $6.6 billion, while the market size in the Asia-Pacific region is $4.4 billion. The market size in Eastern Europe is $1.6 billion, and the market size in the Middle East and Africa is $490 million. The market size in Latin America is $122 million, and the market size in Australia is $118 million.

Here is an overview of market growth from 2015 to 2021:

Oceania grew by 1.010 times, Latin America grew by 1.012 times, the Middle East and Africa grew by 1.028 times, Eastern Europe grew by 1.106 times, the Asia-Pacific region grew by 1.272 times, Western Europe grew by 1.480 times, and North America grew by 1.976 times.

The market size of nicotine electronic cigarette products categorized by region has fluctuated. Image source: original research paper.

In the UK, the proportion of adults using electronic cigarette products has increased from 1.7% in 2012 to 8.3% in 2022.

5. The prevalence of electronic cigarettes.

The number of electronic cigarette users in the European region has reached 20 million people, with a prevalence rate of 2.3%.

The number of electronic cigarette users in the US has reached 16.8 million, with a prevalence rate of 1.8%.

Electronic cigarette popularity in various regions | Image source: Original research paper

E-cigarettes banned in 36 countries.

E-cigarettes are banned in 36 countries, while there is a regulatory and legislative vacuum in 84 other countries.

Further reading:

According to data from the General Administration of Customs in China, the export value of electronic cigarettes in March showed a year-on-year increase of 96.6% and a month-on-month increase of 71.9%.

The Guardian: 73% of e-cigarette liquids in the UK contain excessive amounts of nicotine, with 8 zero-nicotine products found to have nicotine.

The number of young people in Denmark smoking has decreased, while the use of snuff and electronic cigarettes has increased to 12.9%.

A roundtable discussion on the issue of illegal tobacco trafficking was held in Orenburg, Russia.

The Financial Times reports that the use of e-cigarettes by minors in the UK has raised concerns in society, and the topic of future regulatory models has become a controversial focus of discussion.

Reference:

According to recent estimates, there are 82 million people around the world who use electronic cigarettes, also known as "vapers.

论文原文" in English is "original article".