Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States

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Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths.1

In 2021, nearly 12 of every 100 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older (11.5%) currently* smoked cigarettes. This means an estimated 28.3 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes.2 More than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease.1

Current smoking has declined from 20.9% (nearly 21 of every 100 adults) in 2005 to 11.5% (nearly 12 of every 100 adults) in 2021.1,2

*Current smokers are defined as people who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime and who, at the time they participated in a survey about this topic, reported smoking every day or some days.

Current Smoking Among Adults in 2021 (Nation)

By Sex2

Current cigarette smoking was higher among men than women.

  • About 13 of every 100 adult men (13.1%)
  • About 10 of every 100 adult women (10.1%)

By Age2

Current cigarette smoking was highest among people aged 25–44 years and 45–64 years. Current cigarette smoking was lowest among people aged 18-24 years.

  • About 5 of every 100 adults aged 18–24 years (5.3%)
  • Nearly 13 of every 100 adults aged 25–44 years (12.6%)
  • Nearly 15 of every 100 adults aged 45–64 years (14.9%)
  • About 8 of every 100 adults aged 65 years and older (8.3%)

By Race/Ethnicity2

Current cigarette smoking was highest among non-Hispanic adults from other racial groups and lowest among non-Hispanic Asian adults.

  • Nearly 15 of every 100 non-Hispanic adults from other racial groups* (14.9%)
  • Nearly 13 of every 100 non-Hispanic White adults (12.9%)
  • Nearly 12 of every 100 non-Hispanic Black adults (11.7%)
  • Nearly 8 of every 100 Hispanic adults (7.7%)
  • About 5 of every 100 non-Hispanic Asian adults** (5.4%)
  • 2021 tobacco product estimates for American Indian/Alaska Native adults were not statistically reliable
  • * Non-Hispanic Other includes adults who were categorized as “non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and any other group” or “other single and multiple races”.

**Non-Hispanic Asians does not include Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders.

By Education2

Current cigarette smoking was highest among people with a general education development (GED) certificate and lowest among those with a graduate degree.***

  • Nearly 31 of every 100 adults with a GED certificate (30.7%)
  • About 20 of every 100 adults with some high school (no degree) (20.1%)
  • About 17 of every 100 adults with a high school diploma (17.1%)
  • About 16 of every 100 adults with some college (no degree) (16.1%)
  • Nearly 14 of every 100 adults with an Associate degree (13.7%)
  • About 5 of every 100 adults with an undergraduate degree (5.3%)
  • About 3 of every 100 adults with a graduate degree (3.2%)
  • ***Education estimates are limited to adults 25 years or older.

By Annual Household Income2

Current cigarette smoking was higher among people with a lower annual household income than those with higher annual household incomes.

  • About 18 of every 100 adults with low income (18.3%)
  • About 12 of every 100 adults with middle income (12.3%)
  • Nearly 7 of every 100 adults with high income (6.7%)

By U.S. Census Region2

Current cigarette smoking was highest in the Midwest and the South and lowest in the West.

  • 14 of every 100 adults who live in the Midwest (14.0%)
  • About 12 of every 100 adults who live in the South (12.4%)
  • About 10 of every 100 adults who live in the Northeast (10.4%)
  • Nearly 9 of every 100 adults who live in the West (8.9%)

By Marital Status2

Current cigarette smoking was highest among persons who were divorced/separated or widowed and lowest among those who were married or living with a partner.

  • Nearly 17 of every 100 adults who were divorced/separated or widowed (16.8%)
  • Nearly 11 of every 100 adults who were single/never married or not living with a partner (10.9%)
  • About 10 of every 100 adults who were married or living with a partner (10.4%)

By Sexual Orientation2

Current cigarette smoking was higher among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults than heterosexual/straight adults.

  • About 15 of every 100 lesbian, gay, or bisexual adults (15.3%)
  • About 11 of every 100 heterosexual/straight adults (11.4%)

By Health Insurance Coverage2

Current cigarette smoking was highest in adults and adults insured by Medicaid and uninsured adults and lowest in adults with Medicare only (aged ≥65 years) .

  • Nearly 22 of every 100 adults insured by Medicaid (21.5%)
  • 20 of every 100 adults who were uninsured (20.0%)
  • Nearly 14 of every 100 adults who had other public insurance (13.9%)
  • Nearly 9 of every 100 adults with private insurance (8.6%)
  • About 8 of every 100 adults insured by Medicare only (8.4%)

By Disability/Limitation2

Current cigarette smoking was higher among adults with a disability than those without.

  • Nearly 19 of every 100 adults with a disability (18.5%)
  • Nearly 11 of every 100 adults without a disability (10.9%)

By Mental Health Symptoms*2

Current cigarette smoking was higher among adults who regularly had feelings of severe psychological distress than adults who did not.

  • About 28 of every 100 adults who regularly had feelings of severe psychological distress (28.1%)
  • Nearly 11 of every 100 adults who did not regularly have feelings of severe psychological distress (10.9%)

Current cigarette smoking was higher among adults who were ever told by a healthcare provider that they had depression than adults who had not.

  • About 19 of every 100 adults who were ever told by a healthcare provider that they had depression (19.4%)
  • Nearly 10 of every 100 adults who were ever told by a healthcare provider that they had depression (9.9%)

*The Washington Group Short Set on Functioning Enhanced. Serious psychological distress was assessed using the recoded question “Experienced serious psychological distress – K6 scale”, which was recoded from the answers to the 6-item Kessler scale: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22351472/.

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Current Smoking Among Adults in 2018 (States)

  • In 2018, current smoking ranged from nearly 9 of every 100 adults in Utah (9.0%) to 25 of every 100 adults in West Virginia (25.2%).3

The figure presents the percentage of adults in each state who were current smokers in 2018.3

Note: These data are periodically updated on the following CDC Web sites:

  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2019 Jan 30].
  2. Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:475–483.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Tobacco Activities Tracking & Evaluation (STATE) System. Map of Current Cigarette Use Among Adults (Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System) 2018 [accessed 2020 Nov 12].
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