South Korea’s Heated Tobacco Products Grew 17.1% in 2021
Yonhap News, citing data from South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, reported that cigarette sales in South Korea remained flat from 2020 to 2021, while demand for heated tobacco products rose during the pandemic. According to the ministry, South
According to data from the South Korean Ministry of Finance, cigarette sales in South Korea remained flat from 2020 to 2021, but the demand for e-cigarettes increased during the pandemic.
According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, South Korean smokers purchased 3.59 billion packs of 20 cigarettes in 2021, similar to the record numbers from the previous year.
Last year, traditional cigarette sales decreased by 2% year-on-year to 3.15 billion packs, while sales of heated tobacco products grew by 17.1% to 440 million packs.
However, compared to 2014, last year's cigarette sales dropped by 17.7%—the government attributed this to price increases and anti-smoking campaigns.
In January 2015, South Korea raised cigarette prices by 80% to 4,500 won (3.72 USD). The following year, the government required tobacco companies to print graphic images depicting the harmful effects of smoking on the upper part of cigarette packaging.
According to the Ministry of Health, as of 2020, the smoking rate among men aged 19 and older in South Korea dropped to a historic low of 34%, down 1.7 percentage points from the previous year.
