In 2019, three out of ten French people aged 18–75 reported smoking (30%), and one-quarter smoked daily (24%). A significant decline was observed among women between 2018 and 2019. Experts also sought to define the profile of French smokers, an exercise that is particularly useful for developing and targeting prevention messages more effectively.

In 2019: Decline in female smoking and social inequalities remain stark

Between 2018 and 2019, while the prevalence of smoking and daily smoking among men did not change significantly, trends were more favorable among women. Over the course of a year, the prevalence of smoking among women decreased from 28.9% to 26.5%, and that of daily smoking from 22.9% to 20.7%.

Social inequalities, which have not increased since 2016, remain very pronounced. In particular, there is a 12-point gap in the prevalence of daily smoking between the lowest and highest income groups, and a 17-point gap between the unemployed and the employed.
Addressing social inequalities related to smoking remains one of the major challenges for the coming years.

A new development, according to data from the 2019 Santé publique France Barometer, is that people aged 76–85 were also surveyed. In this age group, the prevalence of smoking was 5.4%, and 4.8% for daily smoking.

Who are the smokers in France?

The sample size for the 2017 Santé publique France Health Barometer was large enough to provide a comprehensive portrait of smokers. According to these data, smokers are:

• more often men (54%);

• people under 55 years of age (81%);

• people in precarious socioeconomic situations: less educated (26% hold a degree beyond high school, compared to 33% among non-smokers), twice as likely to be unemployed (14% vs. 7%), and in a financial situation perceived as “difficult” (22% vs. 12.5%);

• in poorer mental health, more frequently exhibiting symptoms of anxiety, depressive episodes, and chronic insomnia; more frequently using other psychoactive substances.

They are less likely to see a general practitioner and use the Internet less as a source of health information, compared to non-smokers.

Encouraging smoking cessation: a priority

Although trends in smoking are encouraging, prevalence remains very high in France, and smoking-attributable mortality—a reflection of past consumption—was estimated at 75,000 deaths in 2015, representing 13% of all deaths in metropolitan France. Initial observations by Santé publique France show that for some French people, the lockdown has been accompanied by an increase in tobacco use. Encouraging smoking cessation therefore remains a priority.

To mark May 31, Santé publique France is launching a digital campaign to highlight the smoking cessation support service Tabac info service with the message “Quitting smoking is always a good idea” and is re-releasing three videos on its website, app, and via the 3989 hotline.