Smoking Rates in Canada by Province and Age
Key takeaways
Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey estimates that 10.0% of adults in the ten provinces smoked daily or occasionally in 2025, down from 18.8% in 2015. By province the rate runs from 8.0% in British Columbia to 15.2% in Nova Scotia. Among youth aged 12 to 17, 1.5% smoked and 5.8% vaped in 2024.
Two Statistics Canada surveys give the most recent official numbers. The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) covers adults. The Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY) covers people aged 12 to 17. We read both from Statistics Canada’s published tables, and the CCHS table was released on 20 October 2026.
A caution on comparisons. Health Canada notes that the CCHS covered people aged 12 and older from 2001 to 2022 and has covered adults aged 18 and older from 2023 onwards. The table we use reports adults 18 and over for every year, but the 2023 change in survey scope means the Canadian numbers before and after it are not strictly like for like.
Adults who smoke: the trend
Share of adults aged 18 and over (ten provinces) who currently smoke cigarettes, daily or occasionally. The 2025 estimate is 10.0%, with a 95% confidence interval of 9.5% to 10.5%, about 3.3 million people.
| Year | Daily or occasional smokers |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 18.8% |
| 2019 | 15.7% |
| 2020 | 13.8% |
| 2021 | 12.7% |
| 2022 | 12.5% |
| 2023 | 11.4% |
| 2024 | 11.1% |
| 2025 | 10.0% |
Daily smoking fell from 8.7% in 2023 to 8.3% in 2024 and 7.2% in 2025.
By province
| Province | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Vaped in past 30 days, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 9.5% | 8.1% | 8.0% | 5.4% |
| Alberta | 10.8% | 11.3% | 9.0% | 7.1% |
| Saskatchewan | 12.2% | 12.6% | 13.3% | 6.0% |
| Manitoba | 12.4% | 11.2% | 9.8% | 7.1% |
| Ontario | 11.1% | 11.1% | 9.6% | 5.1% |
| Quebec | 12.5% | 12.1% | 11.0% | 6.5% |
| New Brunswick | 14.7% | 13.1% | 11.4% | 6.1% |
| Nova Scotia | 13.7% | 13.7% | 15.2% | 7.2% |
| Prince Edward Island | 11.9% | 11.1% | 10.7% | 8.4% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 15.4% | 14.4% | 14.7% | 8.1% |
The table does not include Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut. Provincial estimates carry wider margins of error than the national figure, so small differences between provinces or years should not be over-read. Compare these with cigarette prices in cigarette prices by province.
By age and sex, 2025
| Group | Smoke daily or occasionally | Vaped in past 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 34 | 8.4% | 11.7% |
| 35 to 49 | 10.8% | 6.1% |
| 50 to 64 | 12.6% | 2.9% |
| 65 and over | 8.6% | 1.2% |
| Males | 11.6% | 6.9% |
| Females | 8.4% | 5.0% |
Smoking is most common among adults aged 50 to 64 and vaping among those aged 18 to 34. Overall, 5.9% of adults had vaped in the past 30 days in 2025, the same as in 2024 and down from 6.2% in 2023.
Youth, ages 12 to 17
| Year | Smoked daily or occasionally, past 30 days | Used an e-cigarette or vaping device, past 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2.1% | 13.2% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | 7.2% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | 5.8% |
These are self-reported by youth in the ten provinces. Statistics Canada flags the 2024 count of youth who smoked (about 39,200) with an “E” quality marker, meaning the estimate should be used with caution.
The 2022 tobacco and nicotine survey
The last Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey summary on Health Canada’s site covers collection from 30 November 2022 to 31 January 2023. It found 10.9% of people aged 15 and older currently smoked cigarettes and 5.8% had vaped in the past 30 days. By age, vaping was 13.6% for ages 15 to 19 and 19.7% for ages 20 to 24, while smoking was 4.2% for ages 15 to 19 and 7.7% for ages 20 to 24. Provincial smoking rates ranged from 8.7% in British Columbia to 15.8% in New Brunswick. We show it for context only, because the age range differs from the CCHS.
For what these numbers mean for health, see the health hub; for quitting help, the quit smoking hub. The vaping figures are discussed in e-cigarette risks and benefits.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Canadians smoke?
In the Canadian Community Health Survey, 10.0% of adults aged 18 and over in the ten provinces were daily or occasional smokers in 2025, and 7.2% smoked daily. The territories are not included in the table we used.
Has smoking gone down in Canada?
Yes. The same table shows 18.8% in 2015, 15.7% in 2019, 12.5% in 2022, 11.1% in 2024 and 10.0% in 2025.
How many teenagers vape in Canada?
In the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 5.8% of people aged 12 to 17 had used an e-cigarette or vaping device in the past 30 days in 2024, down from 7.2% in 2023 and 13.2% in 2019.
Why does this page not use the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey figures?
Health Canada's survey page lists summaries only up to the 2022 Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, which found 10.9% of people aged 15 and older smoking. Newer official tables are in the Canadian Community Health Survey, which we use for adults.
Sources
- Table 13-10-0905-01: Health indicator statistics, annual estimates (Canadian Community Health Survey) — Statistics Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Table 13-10-0948-01: Health indicator statistics, youth aged 12 to 17 (Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth) — Statistics Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Tobacco and vaping: Surveys, statistics and research — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS): summary of results for 2022 — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.