The WHO series for the most-sold cigarette brand is not the same measure as the premium-brand price. Across the 182 countries with a numeric 2020 observation, a 20-cigarette pack ranges from $0.31 to $21.13. The unweighted median is $2.74, the mean is $4.04, and the Republic of Korea is $3.78.
WHO identifies the most-sold brand using national market-share information where available or vendor checks, and records the tax-inclusive retail price of a standardized pack of 20 cigarettes. That makes this series closer to a widely purchased market reference than the premium-brand series, but it is still not a national average over every cigarette brand. The figures below are US-dollar conversions at official exchange rates, not purchasing-power-adjusted prices and not a direct measure of affordability relative to income.
Table of Contents
The median 2020 observation is $2.74 per pack
The first quartile is $1.29, the median is $2.74, and the third quartile is $5.48. The middle half of the country observations therefore lies between about $1.29 and $5.48. The mean of $4.04 is above the median because a relatively small number of high-price markets extend the upper tail.
| 2020 price band | Countries | Share of 182 |
|---|---|---|
| < $1 | 25 | 13.7% |
| $1–<2 | 42 | 23.1% |
| $2–<4 | 44 | 24.2% |
| $4–<6 | 31 | 17.0% |
| $6–<10 | 26 | 14.3% |
| ≥ $10 | 14 | 7.7% |
The largest group contains 44 countries between $2 and $4, followed by 42 between $1 and $2. Twenty-five are below $1, 31 are between $4 and $6, 26 are between $6 and $10, and 14 are at least $10. Looking only at the most expensive markets would therefore give a misleading impression of the typical country observation.
Australia and New Zealand are above $20 in the same-year data
| Country | Most-sold pack price |
|---|---|
| Australia | $21.13 |
| New Zealand | $20.04 |
| Niue | $16.00 |
| Ireland | $15.99 |
| Norway | $14.24 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | $13.53 |
| Naoero | $12.98 |
| France | $11.85 |
| Monaco | $11.85 |
| Iceland | $10.75 |
Australia is the highest 2020 observation at $21.13 and New Zealand follows at $20.04. Niue is $16.00, Ireland $15.99, Norway $14.24, and the United Kingdom $13.53. Nauru is $12.98, while France and Monaco are both $11.85. These are nominal US-dollar prices, not rankings of affordability.
A ten-dollar pack can represent very different economic burdens in two countries with different incomes and price levels. Exchange-rate movements can also change the US-dollar value even when the local-currency retail price is stable. For affordability questions, WHO purchasing-power and income-relative indicators are more appropriate than a simple official-exchange-rate dollar ranking.
Twenty-five countries are below one US dollar in the 2020 comparison
| Country | 2020 price |
|---|---|
| Paraguay | $0.31 |
| Afghanistan | $0.39 |
| Syrian Arab Republic | $0.40 |
| Iraq | $0.42 |
| Pakistan | $0.48 |
| Somalia | $0.49 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | $0.51 |
| Cambodia | $0.51 |
| Belarus | $0.52 |
| Guinea | $0.52 |
Paraguay is $0.31, Afghanistan $0.39, the Syrian Arab Republic $0.40, Iraq $0.42, and Pakistan $0.48. Somalia is $0.49, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cambodia are both $0.51, while Belarus and Guinea are $0.52. The range from $0.31 to $21.13 is extremely wide on a nominal dollar scale.
Low nominal prices should not be read as proof that cigarettes are inexpensive relative to household resources. Income, taxes, exchange rates, distribution costs, product tiers, competition and illicit-market conditions can all matter. The single price series does not isolate the causal contribution of any one factor, so the map should be treated as a descriptive comparison rather than an explanation of why each country sits where it does.
Korea is $3.78, below Japan and the United States but above China
| Country | 2020 most-sold brand price |
|---|---|
| Australia | $21.13 |
| New Zealand | $20.04 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | $13.53 |
| France | $11.85 |
| Canada | $9.59 |
| Germany | $8.29 |
| United States of America | $7.33 |
| Japan | $4.88 |
| Republic of Korea | $3.78 |
| Mexico | $3.00 |
| South Africa | $2.62 |
| India | $2.54 |
| China | $2.19 |
| Russian Federation | $2.15 |
| Indonesia | $2.09 |
| Brazil | $1.01 |
The Republic of Korea is $3.78. Japan is $4.88 and the United States $7.33, while China is $2.19. India is $2.54, Indonesia $2.09, the Russian Federation $2.15, and Brazil $1.01. Canada is $9.59, Germany $8.29, and France $11.85. Because every value in this table is dated 2020 and uses the same indicator, it avoids the mixed-year problem that affects many latest-observation comparisons.
The Korean value is not a present-day shop price. It is a 2020 observation converted at the official exchange rate used by the WHO series. WHO country profiles now publish more recent tobacco-price information for later reporting rounds, so anyone looking for a current retail price should use the latest country profile rather than this historical cross-section.
Premium and most-sold prices can differ substantially
Matching the most-sold and premium WHO price series for the 167 countries that have both 2020 values produces a median premium-minus-most-sold gap of $0.48 and a simple mean gap of $0.85. Fifty countries have essentially identical values, 116 have a higher premium price, and only 1 has a slightly lower premium observation.
| Country | Most-sold | Premium | Premium − most-sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Libya | $2.53 | $12.28 | $9.75 |
| Yemen | $2.40 | $9.59 | $7.19 |
| China | $2.19 | $7.16 | $4.97 |
| Lebanon | $1.66 | $6.30 | $4.64 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | $13.53 | $17.21 | $3.68 |
| Australia | $21.13 | $24.70 | $3.57 |
| New Zealand | $20.04 | $23.39 | $3.35 |
| Saint Lucia | $3.31 | $6.39 | $3.08 |
The largest gaps occur in Libya, Yemen, China and Lebanon. China is $2.19 for the most-sold brand and $7.16 for the premium brand, a $4.97 difference. Other countries have little or no separation between the two categories. This is why the two WHO indicators should not be collapsed into one number: the premium series describes a high-end product tier, while the most-sold series describes the brand that dominates sales.
The distinction also keeps this article from duplicating a premium-price ranking. The main question here is the price point of the brand most commonly purchased in each market. Premium values are used only as a secondary comparison to show how product tiers can change the international picture.
Thirteen latest observations are older than 2020 and are kept out of the ranking
| Country | Latest supplied year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Brunei Darussalam | 2012 | $5.92 |
| Djibouti | 2016 | $1.13 |
| Haiti | 2016 | $1.32 |
| San Marino | 2016 | $5.22 |
| Barbados | 2018 | $7.33 |
| Central African Republic | 2018 | $0.98 |
| Cook Islands | 2018 | $16.38 |
| Cuba | 2018 | $12.50 |
| Eritrea | 2018 | $6.50 |
| Grenada | 2018 | $3.30 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 2018 | $0.89 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2018 | $2.96 |
| Solomon Islands | 2018 | $4.00 |
The source package contains 195 latest country observations, but 13 are dated 2012, 2016 or 2018 rather than 2020. Brunei Darussalam is dated 2012; Djibouti, Haiti and San Marino are dated 2016; and nine others are dated 2018. Mixing those figures into a 2020 ranking would make year differences look like price differences, so the map, mean, median and rankings use only the 182 same-year observations.
Official-exchange-rate dollars and purchasing-power prices answer different questions
Official-exchange-rate conversion places local-currency retail prices on one nominal US-dollar scale. It does not equalize the amount of goods and services that a dollar can buy in each economy. Purchasing power parity adjusts for broader price-level differences and should be used when that is the intended comparison. The two series are not interchangeable.
Retail price is also not the same as the tobacco tax rate. WHO tracks taxes on the most-sold brand separately, including the share of the retail price accounted for by excise, VAT or sales tax and other levies. Countries with similar retail prices can have different tax structures and industry pricing, so tax-policy conclusions require the tax variables rather than the pack price alone.
Source and calculation method
Country observations come from the WHO Global Health Observatory R_Price_mp_estimate_usd series. WHO’s tobacco and nicotine retail-price metadata describes the collection of most-sold, premium and cheapest cigarette-brand prices for a standardized pack of 20 cigarettes.
The map and primary statistics use only the 182 numeric observations dated 2020. The $4.04 mean, $2.74 median, quartiles, price bands and rankings are calculated directly from those observations. The premium comparison matches 167 countries that have 2020 values in both WHO series. No population or GDP weights are applied, and missing or older values are not filled with estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the 2020 price of the most-sold cigarette brand in South Korea?
The WHO R_Price_mp_estimate_usd observation for the Republic of Korea is $3.78 in 2020, above the 182-country median of $2.74.
Is the most-sold brand price the same as the premium-brand price?
No. WHO collects them as separate indicators. Among 167 countries with both 2020 values, premium prices are usually higher and the median premium-minus-most-sold gap is $0.48.
Does this indicator use a pack of 20 cigarettes?
Yes. WHO tobacco retail-price monitoring standardizes the cigarette comparison around a pack of 20 and records the tax-inclusive retail price of the most-sold brand.
Does a lower US-dollar price mean cigarettes are more affordable?
Not necessarily. Official-exchange-rate dollars do not adjust for local income or purchasing power. PPP and affordability indicators answer different questions.
Related Articles
These Green Map articles provide related public-health and country-comparison context. They do not explain the causes of the cigarette-price differences shown here.
- Global Clean Cooking Access Map 2023 by Country
- Tanzania 2022 Demographic, Health and Malaria Survey Guide
- Global Internet Use Map | 2024 Country Comparison
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
