Eastern Europe

There was a slight fall in volume sales of cigarettes in Serbia in 2023. This was partly due to continuing population decline. Price hikes and tax hikes, along with high inflation, also dampened volume sales somewhat. However, smoking prevalence only…

Cigarettes saw strong growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Sales were boosted by the end of the pandemic and the return to more normalised behaviour in terms of work and socialising. The end of the pandemic lowered concerns about the complications…

Sales of cigarettes experienced a slight decline in volume terms in 2023. Sales saw strong growth in 2022 as large numbers of refuges entered Poland following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, many of these refugees from Ukraine returned to…

As was the case throughout the review period, cigarettes in North Macedonia saw retail volume sales contract in 2023 as smoking prevalence among the adult population continued to fall in line with rising health-consciousness. Having recently become…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes continued to decline in Lithuania in 2023. Consumers are increasingly aware of the health risks associated with smoking, a concern further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which created additional impetus for…

Throughout 2023, retail sales of cigarettes in Latvia sustained a downward trajectory. This trend was primarily driven by the steady increase in average unit prices, attributed to excise tax policies and heightened competition from alternative…

Tobacco in Hungary saw a decline in volume terms overall in 2023, attributed to several and various factors. Despite price hikes that remained below the annual inflation rate, the market's largest segments struggled to stem the fall. Volume sales of…

There was a significant increase in volume sales of cigarettes in Georgia in 2023. This was partly due to an increase in population, as there were increased numbers of immigrants from Russia, as a result of the war in Ukraine. Also, inflation…

In 2023, cigarettes in Estonia witnessed another year of retail volume sales decline. The downward trajectory is partly due to consumers becoming more conscious of health and therefore likely to quit the habit. However, the major reason for the fall…

Smoking prevalence continues to decline in Eastern Europe, with retail volume sales of cigarettes also falling. Some consumers continue to try and cut down on their smoking or quit altogether for health reasons, brought into even greater focus by…