Tobacco use among adults (Indicator 10)

This indicator is part of Target (5): 30 per cent reduction in tobacco use from 2010 to 2025.

The indicator covers current daily or non-daily use of tobacco. Tobacco use mainly consists in smoking and the use of snus. We present data on the proportion of adults who smoke and the proportion who use snus or smoke.

Results

From 1990 to 2024, the percentage who reported smoking (daily or non-daily) fell from under 50 per cent to around 17 per cent among men, and from just over 40 per cent to 14 per cent among women, in the 18-74 age group. Towards the end of the period, the proportion who smoked was similar for both genders. 

The decline in smoking coincides with a rise in the use of snus among both genders. The increased use of snus compensated for the decrease in current smoking among men during the period between 2002 and 2024. Among adult women, the use of snus was less widespread and thus there was a stable net reduction in the total proportion reporting that they smoked or used snus during the whole period. 

When expressed as a linear trend, the percentage of current smokers among men aged 18 to 74 years decreased 48 per cent from 2010 to 2024. The corresponding decrease among women was 57 per cent. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). The decline in the percentage who smoked daily was 63 per cent among men and 68 per cent among women from 2010 to 2024 (p<0.05). The percentage among adults aged 18 to 74 who smoked occasionally decreased 19 per cent among men and 32 per cent among women from 2010 to 2024 (p<0.05).

Using the same approach, the percentage of current snus users among men aged 18-74 increased 43 per cent from 2010 to 2024. Among women the increase was greater, 164 per cent. Current tobacco use (snus and cigarettes combined) declined 10 per cent among men and 25 per cent among women aged 18 to 74 years in the period 2010-2024. All changes in current snus use and current tobacco use were statistically significant (p<0.05).

Data source: Norwegian Survey of Smoking Habits  

The data source for this indicator is the Norwegian Survey of Smoking Habits.

A description and definitions follow below.

Description 

The Norwegian Survey of Smoking Habits is a telephone-based, nationwide survey of tobacco use (questions about smoking and snus) among individuals aged 16-79, undertaken by Statistics Norway on behalf of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The survey has been conducted annually since 1973 and the response rate has been around 60 per cent in recent years, around 70 per cent in the 1990s and around 90 per cent in the 1970s. Since 1985, questions about snus have also been asked. 

From 1973 until 1991 the survey was conducted as a supplementary part of the Labour Force Survey. During this period, around 2500 people participated annually. From 1992 until 2020, the survey formed part of Statistics Norway’s Omnibus Survey and Travel Survey. During this period, 2000 people were invited to participate each quarter, with the exception of the second and last quarter of 2015 when 3000 people were invited. The survey was not conducted from the first quarter to the third quarter of 1992, in the first and third quarter of 1994, the third quarter of 1998 and the second quarter of 2000. 

• Web report: Tobacco in Norway (in Norwegian) 
• Norwegian Survey of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs 2024 (ssb.no) (in Norwegian) 
• Norwegian Survey of Smoking Habits (Travel survey, ssb.no) 

Numerator

• The proportion of adults in the 18-74 age range who responded that they smoke and/or use snus on a daily or non-daily basis, as percentage, in five-year age groups, age-standardised.

Years are stated in five-year age groups (1990-1994, 1995-1999, … 2020-2024). These numbers form the basis for the figures and tables. 

• The proportion of adults in the 18-74 age range who responded that they smoke and/or use snus on a daily or non-daily basis, as percentage, in one-year age groups, age-standardised.

These figures are described in the Results. 

In calculating the figures, changes in the age distribution of the population over time are taken into account in that the figures are standardised to the age distribution of the corresponding population of Norway as of 1 January 2012. 

Interpretation and sources of error

Combining daily use and non-daily use entails different consequences for different groups. For men, non-daily smoking and non-daily snus use have remained relatively stable over time. For women, non-daily use of snus is increasing. The result is that the use of snus is increasing more over time, when we compare regular use with daily use.

Data quality

The data quality is deemed to be good, although the response rate has declined over time. In recent years, Statistics Norway has calculated weightings to adjust for deviations from the sample. The use of weightings in the generation of tables has very little effect on the results. However, the sample size will be too small to provide useful responses to questions requiring the sample to be broken down into smaller parts, for example one-year age groups or counties. 

Global indicator definition

Indicator 10. Age-standardised prevalence of current tobacco use among persons aged 18+ years.