What country consumes the most tobacco?

Men in China have one of the highest smoking rates in the world. A major factor is the price of cigarettes, which is kept low by the government-owned tobacco industry.

In the lists below, from statistics compiled by the World Health Organization, prices are of the most popular brand in each country in 2008. Prevalence data is age-standardized and is from 2006. The percentage of population who smoke daily is broken down by males (listed first) and females.

Cost of a pack of cigarettes/Percentage of population who smoke daily

U.S.: $4.58; 20 percent, 14 percent

China: $0.73; 57, 3

Top 5 countries

Ireland: $11.27; 26 percent, 21 percent

Norway: $10.14; 23, 23

Singapore: $8.06; 24, 4

Britain: $7.64; 19, 17

France: $7.38; 30, 24

Bottom 5 countries

Cuba: $0.30; 35 percent, 24 percent

Cambodia: $0.30; 38, 4

Pakistan: $0.23; 23, 2

Paraguay: $0.20; 33, 23

Sierra Leone: $0.16; N/A, N/A