The HSE monitors cigarette smoking prevalence and behaviour on a monthly basis to gain a detailed picture of smoking patterns in Ireland and to identify trends in this pattern. This information is useful for informing policy decisions. The data are compiled from a monthly quota survey conducted on Ipsos MRBI's Omnipoll, a telephone omnibus survey.  The data consist of a collection of 1,000 respondents per month from July 2002 to date. The research is conducted among Irish adults aged 15 years and over. The data are weighted by gender, age, social class and region.

Cigarette smoking prevalence is analysed under a number of demographic classifications to further our understanding of smoking behaviour. Cigarette consumption and brand choice data are also presented. Smoking prevalence rates and smoker demographic characteristics are presented as 12 month averages in order to provide more stable estimates. Trends over time are presented as 12 month moving averages in order to give a better picture of the underlying trend. Minor discrepancies between prevalence figures and trend figures reflect these different methods of calculation.

2013 - 12-month prevalence results

Smoking was defined as responding yes to the question "Do you smoke one or more cigarettes each week, whether packaged or roll your own?" The overall prevalence of cigarette smoking in Ireland at December 2013 was 21.5% (Chart 1). There has been a decline in prevalence of 2 percentage points since June 2010.

Chart 1.1 shows the prevalence of smoking by gender at December 2013. As has been the case since the research began, a higher percentage of men (22.9%) reported being smokers than did women (20.2%).

Chart 1.2 shows cigarette smoking by age group. Smoking rates were highest among young adults (18-34 years), reaching 30.7% in the 18-24 year old age group. Prevalence was lowest among the 65+ age group at 9.7%. Just over one in eight 15-17 year olds (13.3%) reported smoking. There have been marginal decreases in smoking prevalence in all age groups over 25 in the last year, with the exception of those aged 55-64 years. There has been small increases in smoking prevalence amongst 18 to 24 year olds and 15 to 17 year olds in the last year.

Chart 1.3 looks at socio economic groups and shows that the highest cigarette smoking prevalence rates were in the lower socio economic groups (C2 and DE Categories) The lowest smoking rates (15.5% and 13%) were among farmers (F) and higher socio economic groups (AB). Smoking prevalence has declined amongst all groups with the exception of C1s in the last year.

Chart 1.4 shows cigarette smoking rates by region. There was very little difference in smoking rates in the different regions. However, caution is required in interpreting these figures as the rates were not adjusted to account for the different age and social class structures in each region. Smoking rates were lowest in Connaught/Ulster (21.1%), with marginally higher rates in Munster (21.3%) and Dublin (21.4%) and highest in Rest of Leinster at (22%).

Finally, prevalence rates by Health Service Executive (HSE) administrative area are presented in Chart 1.5. There is very little difference in smoking rates in the different areas. HSE Dublin/Mid Leinster has the lowest rate at 20.1% at December 2013, while Dublin North East has the highest at 23.2%. 

Trend data (see attached document)

The 12-month moving average trends provide a smoothed pattern to the data and give a picture of smoking behaviour between June 2003 and December 2013. Smokers were those who answered yes to the question "Do you smoke one or more cigarettes each week, whether packaged or roll your own?"

Description of smokers (see attached document)

This section of the data focuses on smokers only, and reflect the frequency of the various demographic groups within the population as well as the prevalence of smoking within the demographic groups. The charts show the breakdown of smokers by gender, the distribution of smokers across age groups, and the distribution of smokers by social class. They also show the percentages of smokers by region and by Health Service Executive (HSE) administrative area, and the number of cigarettes smoked daily by all reported smokers.

Market data

The following Market Data is for 2012. A 2013 update will be provided shortly. The following charts are based on data relating to the Irish cigarette market.

Distributor Market Share The Irish market is dominated by three main distributors. The JTI group has the largest market share with over 50% of sales at December 2012 (Chart 4).

Most Popular Brands The JTI Group distributes three of the top five most popular brands smoked: Benson and Hedges, Silk Cut Purple and Silk Cut Blue (Chart 4.1). These three brands have featured in the top five since August 2003. Benson & Hedges is the most popular brand, being smoked by 13.3% of smokers at December 2012. Over one half of smokers smoke these five brands.

The gender distribution of smokers of the five most popular brands is shown in Chart 4.2. Silk Cut cigarettes (Blue and Purple) are favoured by women smokers. Two thirds of those who smoke Silk Cut are women. Approximately 60% of smokers who smoke Marlboro Gold and Benson & Hedges are men.

Chart 4.3 highlights consumer patterns according to age group. Marlboro Gold, John Player Blue and Benson & Hedges are favoured by younger smokers: over 50% of smokers of these three brands are under 35 years of age. Of smokers who smoke Marlboro Gold, almost half (47.56%) are in the 25-34 age group; more than a quarter of John Player Blue smokers are aged 18-24. Silk Cut brands appear to be more popular among older age groups.

Methodological Changes to Survey

Prior to May 2008, the Ipsos MRBI telephone omnipoll was conducted with respondents via landline telephone numbers only. From May 2008 the data collection methodology was updated to reflect changing demographics and telephone usage patterns in Ireland. The sample population is now drawn from a combination of both landline and mobile phone numbers. While the questionnaire and quota controls are unchanged, some population subgroups that may previously have been difficult to contact are now better represented in the sample.

This change in sampling method resulted in an increase in prevalence (of about 3%) from May 2008 on. The pre-May 2008 data have therefore been re-calibrated* to allow for trend analysis, with the caveat that calibration may not restore strict comparability. The prevalence rates presented prior to May 2008 therefore differ from those previously published with respect to magnitude (but not trend pattern).

*Technical note : To re-calibrate the trend data, the data were seasonally adjusted and then the six months of data prior to the change were compared with six months of data after the change in order to isolate the impact of the change in methodology. The smoking prevalence figures prior to May 2008 were subsequently adjusted accordingly, on the assumption that the change in sampling approach was the only difference in smoking prevalence between the two 6 month periods.