Fewer and fewer people are smoking in Switzerland. In 2022, 24% of those aged 15 and over still smoked, compared to 27% in the last survey in 2017, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Tuesday.
The proportion of smokers had remained stable for a long time before this decline, the OFS wrote in a press release.
The survey also shows that the gender gap is narrowing. In 1992, 37% of men smoked, compared to 27% in 2022, and the share of female smokers fell from 24% to 21% over the same period. Among men, the decline is marked especially among 15-24 year-olds and those aged 65 and over. On the other hand, there are more female smokers aged 65 and over.
The level of education also increasingly influences the smoking rate. While there was almost no difference thirty years ago, in 2022 we see that the number of smokers is much higher among people without further education.
Fewer heavy smokers
Swiss smokers are now also consuming fewer cigarettes. The proportion of heavy smokers – at least 20 cigarettes per day – has fallen by more than half between 1992 and 2022, from 41% to 18%.
As for new tobacco products and e-cigarettes, they mainly attract young people. In 2022, 17% of 15 to 24 year-olds consumed heated tobacco, e-cigarettes, hookahs or snuff (snus).
/ATS
