The government’s income from tobacco sales was down by 15% in 2025 because fewer people smoke and more people buy cheaper cigarettes abroad, according to figures from statistics agency CBS.
Smokers contributed some €2.6 million to the treasury in tax, some 20% less than in 2023 when revenue peaked at €3.1 billion.
Duty on cigarettes has doubled since 2020, taking the price of a packet of cigarettes to over €10 and prompting more people to buy abroad. In 2024, some 12% of smokers over the age of 18 said they bought all their tobacco across the border, up 7% from 2020.
One in six people over 12 still smoke, according to a 2025 survey, compared to one in four in 2015.
