Prevalence of smoking (%), Australia 1991–2013

There has been a significant decrease in daily smokers aged 14 years or older in Australia, falling from 24.3% in 1991 to 12.8% in 2013.

Each year, smoking kills an estimated 15,000 Australians and costs Australia $31.5 billion in social (including health) and economic costs.

Daily smokers aged 15+ % of population, 2013

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 14 years or older were 2.5 times as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to smoke daily in 2013

States and Territories, smoking prevalence (age standardised %)

Males

Females

Abbreviations: ACT - Australian Capital Territory; NSW - New South Wales; NT - Northern Territory; QLD - Queensland; Tas - Tasmania; SA - South Australia; Vic - Victoria; WA - Western Australia.
Sources: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Drug Strategy Household Survey; OECD (2015), Daily smokers (indicator). doi: 10.1787/1ff488c2-en (Accessed on 03 October 2015); Australian Government Department of Health website.