According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), nearly a fifth of the German population continues to smoke, with 19.1 percent of people aged 15 and over reporting occasional or more frequent smoking in 2025. This figure is nearly unchanged compared to 2021, when the rate was 18.9 percent. In contrast, the smoking prevalence was higher in 2017, standing at 22.4 percent. Regarding product preference, 78.5 percent of smokers predominantly use cigarettes, while 9.2 percent prefer e-cigarettes; the remainder use cigars, cigarillos, pipes, and shisha.
Smoking is becoming more common among younger generations compared to previous years. In 2025, 15.6 percent of people aged 15 to 24 reported occasional smoking, up from 14.5 percent four years earlier. For comparison, the share in this age group was 18.3 percent in 2017.
The highest rates of smoking prevalence are found among middle-aged individuals. The highest percentage of smokers in 2025 was recorded among those aged 40 to 44 at 26.0 percent, followed by the 45 to 49 age group at 25.5 percent, and the 35 to 39 age group at 23.8 percent. Conversely, the smallest rates were observed among those aged 15 to 17, at only 5.0 percent, and among people aged 75 and older, at 5.5 percent, while the 70 to 74 age group reported a rate of 13.3 percent.
Gender differences are also notable. In 2025, the rate of occasional smoking was significantly higher among men (22.4 percent) than among women (15.8 percent). Furthermore, 25.1 percent of men reported having been smokers previously, a higher figure than the 19.0 percent of older women who met the same criterion.
