Health library

Smoking in America

A look at smoking habits in the United States.

Use this timeline to see how smoking rates in American adults have changed since 1965

1965:

42.4% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 51.9% of adult men were current smokers.
• 57.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 51.9% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 28.5% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 33.9% of adult women were current smokers.
• 42.1% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 32.0% of women age 45-65 were current smokers.
• 9.6% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1974:

37.1% of all adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 43.1% of adult men were current smokers.
• 47.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 42.6% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 24.8% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 32.1% of adult women were current smokers.
• 37.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 33.4% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 12.0% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1979:

33.5% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 37.5% of adult men were current smokers.
• 40.4% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 39.3% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 20.9% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 29.9% of adult women were current smokers.
• 34.7% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 30.7% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 13.2% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1985:

30.1% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 32.6% of adult men were current smokers.
• 35.2% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 33.4% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 19.6% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 27.9% of adult women were current smokers.
• 31.4% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 29.9% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 13.5% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1990:

25.5% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 28.4% of adult men were current smokers.
• 31.4% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 29.3% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 14.6% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 22.8% of adult women were current smokers.
• 25.6% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 24.8% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 11.5% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1995:

24.7% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 27.0% of adult men were current smokers.
• 29.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 27.1% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 14.9% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 22.6% of adult women were current smokers.
• 25.6% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 24.0% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 11.5% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

2000:

22.4% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 25.1% of adult men were current smokers.
• 27.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 23.9% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 10.1% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 19.8% of adult women were current smokers.
• 22.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 20.2% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 8.3% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

2005:

20.9% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 23.9% of adult men were current smokers.
• 27.1% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 25.2% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 8.9% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 18.1% of adult women were current smokers.
• 21.2% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 18.8% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 8.3% of women 65+ were current smokers.

2010:

19.3% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 21.5% of adult men were current smokers.
• 25.8% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 22.6% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 9.3% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 17.3% of adult women were current smokers.
• 19.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 19.5% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 7.6% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

2015:

15.1% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

• 16.7% of adult men were current smokers.
• 18.5% of adult men age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 17.9% of adult men age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 9.7% of adult men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

• 13.6% of adult women were current smokers.
• 14.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
• 16.1% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
• 7.3% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

Cigarettes are a killer

There are more than 480,000 deaths from smoking per year. 278,544 of those deaths are among men. 201,773 of those deaths are among women. 41,000 of those deaths are from secondhand smoke alone.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention