Australia's Daily Smoking Rate Drops to Historic 5.6%

Australia just hit a milestone that seemed impossible two decades ago: only 5.6% of people now smoke daily, down from nearly one in five back in 2001.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released its latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey on Friday, surveying over 17,500 Australians aged 14 and older. The numbers reveal a stunning transformation in the nation's relationship with tobacco.

Daily smoking has plummeted from 8.3% in 2022-23 to 5.6% in 2025. Even more encouraging, daily vaping has stabilized at 3.6%, signaling that the rapid rise seen since 2019 may finally be leveling off.

"That stabilization was one of the things that was more surprising," AIHW spokesperson Louise Gates said. Young adults aged 18-24 showed particularly promising trends, with daily vaping dropping from 9.3% to 8.3%.

Becky Freeman, a public health professor at the University of Sydney with over 20 years in tobacco control, calls the findings a "good news story." She and her colleagues in public health had been holding their breath, wondering if decades of progress would continue.

The data confirms what state surveys have been showing: Australians are genuinely moving away from smoking. Price increases and health awareness campaigns continue to work, with cost and health impacts remaining the top two reasons people quit.

The Ripple Effect

This dramatic decline represents one of the world's most successful public health campaigns. When smoking rates drop this significantly, entire communities benefit through reduced healthcare costs, fewer secondhand smoke exposures, and children growing up in smoke-free environments.

The success demonstrates that consistent policy pressure combined with public education can transform deeply entrenched habits. Other countries facing high smoking rates now have a proven roadmap to follow.

Australia's plain packaging laws, high tobacco taxes, and comprehensive education programs have created a culture where smoking is no longer normalized. Young people today grow up seeing cigarettes as the exception rather than the rule.

While challenges remain, including a concerning rise in illicit tobacco use due to high prices, the overall trajectory shows what's possible when public health gets it right. Fewer Australians are trapped in nicotine addiction, and more are living longer, healthier lives because of it.