The full picture: a decade of smoking in Australia
The latest data from Roy Morgan shows that 17.4% of Australians aged 18+ smoke or vape, including 12.1% smoking Factory Made Cigarettes (FMCs) or Roll-Your-Own (RYO) Cigarettes (8.4% FMC & 5.3% RYO) and 7.5% vape.
Overall, this is virtually unchanged over the last decade – in 2014, 17.7% smoked either FMC, RYO, pipe or cigars. However, since 2014, the composition of smoking/vaping has changed with both vaping and illicit tobacco more widespread.
In 2018, when Roy Morgan first began asking people about their use of e-cigarettes, the incidence was less than 2%. Over the next few years, as a variety of vaping experiences and equipment emerged, the incidence of vaping increased steadily to reach a high of 8.3% in 12 months to December 2023 (and now at 7.5% in the 12 months to June 2025).
Illicit tobacco usage was first measured by Roy Morgan in 2020 when the incidence was less than 2% (given this is self-reporting of an illegal activity, it is likely under-reported). Since then, the use of illicit tobacco has steadily increased – now 4.8% of Australians 18+ report using illicit tobacco. Smoking illicit tobacco is included in the FMC/RYO incidence and, as such, is contributing to the continued smoking rates of FMC/RYO hovering just over 12%.
Trended Smoking Incidence - Australians 18+
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia: January 2014 – June 2025. Base: Australians aged 18+, n = approx. 60,000 for a 12m period. FMC = Factory Made Cigarettes. RYO = Roll Your Own. Total Nicotine includes FMC, RYO, vapes (from Feb 2018), pipe & cigar. Total Illicit = Illicit FMC & illicit loose tobacco. Note: minor modifications to our vaping/e-cigarette question were made to reflect the changing landscape in Feb 2020 and Aug 2023.
The Jul 24 – Jun 25 time period includes overlapping data with Jan – Dec 24 time period.
Among younger Australians (18-24 years), 27.8% smoke (including illicit tobacco) or vape. 15.5% smoke FMC or RYO (11.2% FMC & 7.4% RYO) and 20.5% vape. Total smoking/vaping incidence is higher than the general population, and higher now than a decade ago when 20.7% smoked either FMC, RYO, pipe or cigars.
Illicit tobacco usage amongst younger Australians is also higher, with 9.1% consuming illicit tobacco.
Trended Smoking Incidence - Australians 18-24
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia: January 2014 – June 2025. Base: Australians aged 18-24, n = approx. 5,000 for 12m period. FMC = Factory Made Cigarettes. RYO = Roll Your Own. Total Nicotine includes FMC, RYO, vapes (from Feb 2018), pipe & cigar. Total Illicit = Illicit FMC & illicit loose tobacco. Note: minor modifications to our vaping/e-cigarette question were made to reflect the changing landscape in Feb 2020 and Aug 2023.
The Jul 24 – Jun 25 time period includes overlapping data with Jan – Dec 24 time period.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says:
“This historical perspective of smoking in Australia, among Australians 18+ and separately for younger Australians, shows a complex and changing landscape.
“Over the years there has been a plethora of new product development in the Australian market and the subsequent introduction of restrictions, as well as a changing make-up of the Australian population.
“The final impact of e-cigarettes, vaping and illicit tobacco, and a raft of legislation and social reform will take some time to untangle.
“Deeper analysis is being undertaken by academics and researchers.”
For comments or more information about Roy Morgan’s smoking data including for Factory Made Cigarettes (FMCs), Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes), vaping and other consumer data please contact:
Roy Morgan Enquiries
Office: +61 (3) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com
Related research findings
View detailed profiles on different smoker types including Factory-Made Cigarette (FMC) Smokers Profile, Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes) Smokers Profile, Pipe Smokers Profile, or the Cigar Smokers Profile.
Please click on this link to the Roy Morgan Online Store to view additional in-depth reports and profiles on consumer data across several industries.
Compiled with data from Roy Morgan’s Single Source survey (the largest of its kind in the world, with 65,000 respondents each year), these ready-made profiles provide a broad understanding of the target audience, in terms of demographics, attitudes, activities and media usage in Australia.
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the Indonesia, U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
