Slovak cigarette consumption rose 7% to €1.1bn in 2018

The Slovak cigarette consumption rose 4% to 6.9bn pieces in volume terms and 7% to €1.1bn in financial terms in 2018, according to data of Nielsen. The growing tobacco excise taxes are not reducing smoking, quite the opposite. The number of smokers in Slovakia is rising, especially among the youth. Interestingly, 17% of Slovaks have a new year’s resolution to quit (this always reduces cigarette sales at the year’s beginning). Slovaks prefer the so-called light cigarettes (58% of the sales). Over the past five years, the average price of a pack of cigarettes rose 42 cents. The latest tax hike took effect on February 1, and the usual outcome was a shortage of some varieties in stores as they try to sell the old stock.

(HN/9)