'Incredible' milestone reached as Sweden becomes a smoke-free country
Sweden has achieved a significant milestone by reducing the smoking rate to below five percent of the population, officially making it a smoke-free country. This accomplishment is attributed to extensive preventative measures, including increased taxes and advertising bans. The decline in smoking has been ongoing since the late 1970s, with a notable drop in daily smokers from 16 percent in 2003 to 4.8 percent in 2025.
- ▪Fewer than five percent of Swedes now smoke regularly.
- ▪The proportion of daily smokers dropped from 16 to 4.8 percent between 2003 and 2025.
- ▪Smoking has been declining in Sweden since the late 1970s due to broad preventative work.
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Health 'Incredible' milestone reached as Sweden becomes a smoke-free country TT/Emma Löfgren - [email protected] Published: 25 May, 2026 CET. Updated: Mon 25 May 2026 08:36 CET Share 6 comments Fewer than five percent of Swedes now smoke regularly. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT Sweden has reached its target of fewer than five percent of the population smoking regularly – and is consequently considered "smoke-free". "It is an incredible development that a harmful behaviour can be reduced to this extent," Mats Ramstedt, head of research at the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), told the TT news agency.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Local Sweden.