Cigаrette sales increased during the pandemic for the first time in 20 years, according to a recent report by the Federal Trade Commission. Though the report does not specify a reason, the increase in sales may be at least partially driven by people who had previously quit smоking but started again to cope with stress, a primary cause of relapses, during 2020.
To identify the percent change in tobacco sales every year since 2000, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the FTC’s Cigаrette Report for 2020. The report does not include sales of e-cigаrettes.
Americans purchased more cigаrettes last year, though the uptick was small — only a 0.4% increase to 203.7 billion from 202.9 billion in 2019. Between the turn of the century and last year, smоking rates have significantly declined and are about 66% lower than they were just half a century ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The FTC’s report also found that tobacco companies’ spending on advertising and promotions increased from $7.62 billion in 2019 to $7.84 billion last year. Most of the advertising and promotion money was spent on price discounts paid to cigаrette retailers in order to lower the price of cigаrettes to customers.
Smоking is the leading cause of preventable death, according to the CDC. In the U.S. alone, cigаrette smоking contributes to one in five deaths a year, or 1,300 deaths a day. This is exactly what happens to your body once you start smоking.
Click here to see changes in cigаrette sales every year since 2000
Source: SFC Thomas R. Roberts / Wikimedia Commons
2001
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2000 N/A
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2000 N/A
> Total units sold in 2001 398.3 billion
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Source: Sergeant Joseph R. Chenelly, United States Marine Corps / Wikimedia Commons
2002
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2001 -3.7%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2001 -14.8 billions
> Total units sold in 2002 376.4 billion
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Source: National Archive Catalog / Wikimedia Commons
2003
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2002 -5.1%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2002 -19.8 billions
> Total units sold in 2003 360.5 billion
Source: Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison Jr., U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons
2004
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2003 -1.1%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2003 -4.2 billions
> Total units sold in 2004 361.3 billion
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Source: Jocelyn Augustino / Wikimedia Commons
2005
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2004 -2.4%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2004 -8.8 billions
> Total units sold in 2005 351.6 billion
Source: Kjetil Ree / Wikimedia Commons
2006
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2005 -1.2%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2005 -4.1 billions
> Total units sold in 2006 343.3 billion
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Source: Ben Stanfield / Wikimedia Commons
2007
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2006 -2.2%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2006 -7.7 billions
> Total units sold in 2007 337.7 billion
Source: CODEPINK Women For Peace / Wikimedia Commons
2008
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2007 -5.9%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2007 -20.2 billions
> Total units sold in 2008 320.0 billion
Source: Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons
2009
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2008 -9.9%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2008 -31.9 billions
> Total units sold in 2009 290.6 billion
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Source: U.S. Coast Guard / Wikimedia Commons
2010
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2009 -2.7%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2009 -7.8 billions
> Total units sold in 2010 282.9 billion
Source: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons
2011
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2010 -3.0%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2010 -8.5 billions
> Total units sold in 2011 274.4 billion
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Source: New Jersey National Guard / Wikimedia Commons
2012
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2011 -2.2%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2011 -6.0 billions
> Total units sold in 2012 268.4 billion
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Source: White House / Sonya Hebert / Wikimedia Commons
2013
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2012 -4.9%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2012 -13.1 billions
> Total units sold in 2013 255.2 billion
Source: TechCrunch / Wikimedia Commons
2014
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2013 -0.2%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2013 -0.5 billions
> Total units sold in 2014 254.7 billion
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Source: Difference engine / Wikimedia Commons
2015
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2014 -4.1%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2014 -10.5 billions
> Total units sold in 2015 244.2 billion
Source: Krassotkin, Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons
2016
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2015 -1.5%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2015 -3.7 billions
> Total units sold in 2016 240.5 billion
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
2017
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2016 -4.7%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2016 -11.4 billions
> Total units sold in 2017 229.1 billion
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
2018
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2017 -5.3%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2017 -12.2 billions
> Total units sold in 2018 216.9 billion
Source: Alex Grimm / Getty Images
2019
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2018 -6.5%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2018 -14.0 billions
> Total units sold in 2019 202.9 billion
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Source: Courtesy of Walmart
2020
> Percent change in sold cigarettes from 2019 -0.4%
> Unit change in sold cigarettes from 2019 -0.8 billions
> Total units sold in 2020 203.7 billion
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