British Columbia

British Columbia in 2020

  • Smoking prevalence: 7.7% (322,000 smokers) compared to 10.2% in 2019.
    • Males: 11.4% (237,000 smokers).
    • Females: estimate supressed.
  • Average daily cigarette consumption: 14.4 cigarettes per day, compared to 10.6 in 2019.
  • Average price per pack (20 cigarettes): $13.92.

Smoking prevalence

In 2020, smoking prevalence in British Columbia was 7.7%, well below the national average of 10.3% and the lowest among all provinces.

Figure 2.3 shows smoking prevalence, overall and among males and females, in British Columbia from 1999-2020. Overall, it appears that prevalence slowly declined over this time period, with an uptick in 2017 that appears to be an anomaly. Males had similar or greater prevalence than females in all years observed except 2017.

Line graph showing current smoking prevalence among males and females in British Columbia from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 2.3 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.3: Current smoking prevalence* (%) among males and females, British Columbia, 1999-2020
  BC Males Females
1999 20.0 20.8 19.2
2000 19.6 21.6 17.7
2001 16.7 [14.6-18.7] 17.1 [13.7-20.5] 16.2 [13.1-19.3]
2002 16.5 [14.4-18.6] 18.8 [15.6-22.0] 14.2 [11.6-16.8]
2003 16.4 [14.6-18.3] 17.1 [14.1-20.1] 15.8 [13.5-18.1]
2004 15.2 [13.3-17.1] 16.6 [13.7-19.5] 13.9 [11.4-16.4]
2005 14.7 [12.7-16.7] 17.2 [14.2-20.3] 12.2 [9.9-14.5]
2006 16.4 [14.2-18.5] 17.6 [14.3-21.0] 15.1 [12.7-17.5]
2007 14.4 [12.5-16.4] 17.9 [14.6-21.1] 11.1 [8.9-13.3]
2008 14.7 [12.8-16.6] 17.0 [13.9-20.1] 12.5 [10.0-15.0]
2009 14.9 [12.8-17.0] 16 [12.9-19.0] 13.8 [10.9-16.6]
2010 14.3 [12.2-16.4] 14.8 [11.9-17.7] 13.7 [10.8-16.6]
2011 14.2 [11.9-16.5] 11.0 [8.4-13.5] 17.6 [13.7-21.4]
2012 13.2 [10.9-15.6] 15.2 [11.1-19.3] 11.3 [8.7-14.0]
2013 12.9 [10.9-15.0] 14.8 [11.8-17.8] 11 [8.8-13.1]
2015 10.2 [8.4-12.0] 12.2 [9.4-15.1] 8.2 [6.0-10.3]
2017 15.6 [11.1-20.1] 14.2 [9.0-19.3] 17.0 [10.1-23.9]
2019 10.2 [8.0-12.4] 11.9 [8.2-15.5] 8.6 [6.0-11.1]
2020 7.7 [5.8-9.5] 11.4 [8.2-14.6] !

*Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimate for females in 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.

Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.

Figure 2.4 shows smoking prevalence by age group in British Columbia, from 1999-2020. While data for the most recent years is not reportable for most age groups, the available data indicates a net decrease in smoking prevalence in all age groups, though little change among those aged 45 and older, despite year-to-year fluctuations.

Figure 2.4 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.4: Current smoking prevalence* (%) by age group, British Columbia, 1999-2020.
  15-19 20-24 25-44 45+ Overall
1999 20.2 29.0 26.0 12.9 20.0
2000 18.0 28.5 23.8 14.6 19.6
2001 16.8 [13.4-20.2] 27.0 [22.4-31.6] 18.9 [15.0-22.8] 12.9 [10.1-15.7] 16.7 [14.6-18.7]
2002 14.8 [11.8-17.9] 22.0 [18.0-25.9] 20.9 [16.5-25.3] 12.3 [9.4-15.1] 16.5 [14.4-18.6]
2003 13.5 [10.7-16.4] 19.5 [15.5-23.6] 21.2 [17.3-25.0] 12.7 [10.3-15.1] 16.4 [14.6-18.3]
2004 12.8 [9.4-16.2] 26.5 [21.1-31.9] 16.3 [12.9-19.7] 12.9 [10.0-15.7] 15.2 [13.3-17.1]
2005 14.4 [10.8-18.0] 24.0 [19.4-28.5] 17.8 [13.6-21.9] 10.9 [8.2-13.6] 14.7 [12.7-16.7]
2006 12.4 [9.2-15.7] 24.0 [19.5-28.5] 19.7 [15.5-23.8] 13.3 [10.7-16.0] 16.4 [14.2-18.5]
2007 9.0 [6.3-11.7] 18.2 [13.3-23.2] 15.3 [11.2-19.5] 14.0 [11.4-16.6] 14.4 [12.5-16.4]
2008 15.2 [11.6-18.7] 21.0 [16.1-25.9] 14.7 [10.5-18.9] 13.6 [10.8-16.4] 14.7 [12.8-16.6]
2009 12.5 [9.0-16.0] 17.8 [13.3-22.3] 21.0 [15.7-26.4] 10.7 [8.4-13.0] 14.9 [12.8-17.0]
2010 8.9 [6.0-11.9] 24.6 [19.4-29.8] 15.9 [10.9-20.9] 12.3 [9.8-14.8] 14.3 [12.2-16.4]
2011 10.1 [6.7-13.6] 13.1 [9.2-17.1] 16.6 [11.3-21.8] 13.5 [10.8-16.2] 14.2 [11.9-16.5]
2012 9.6 [6.8-12.5] 16.1 [11.6-20.5] 20.0 [14.0-26.0] 9.2 [6.7-11.6] 13.2 [10.9-15.6]
2013 9.5 [5.2-13.8]  # 11.4 [6.6-16.1] # 14.2 [8.3-20.2] # 10 [7.5-12.6] 11.4 [9.1-13.8]
2015 ! 13.8 [9.1-18.6] 13.4 [9.2-17.5] 8.2 [6.0-10.3] 10.2 [8.4-12.0]
2017 6.5 [2.7-10.3] 11.7 [4.8-18.6] ! 16.8 [11.3-22.2] 15.6 [11.1-20.1]
2019 ! ! ! 11.4 [8.6-14.3] 10.2 [8.0-12.4]
2020 ! ! ! 9.6 [6.7-12.6] 7.7 [5.8-9.5]

*Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
# Caution: these estimates do not meet Statistics Canada's quality standards. Conclusions based on these data will be unreliable, and most likely invalid.
! Estimate suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.

Cigarette consumption

Between 1999 and 2020, there has been little net change in average daily cigarette consumption in British Columbia (Figure 2.5). Cigarette consumption estimates were greater among males than females in all years until 2015, but were greater among female smokers in 2017 and 2019.

Figure 2.5 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.5: Average daily cigarette consumption* (mean cigarettes per day) among males and females, British Columbia, 1999-2020
  BC Males Females
1999 16.1 17.3 14.6
2000 14.8 16.5 12.9
2001 14.6 [13.5-15.7] 15.5 [13.2-17.8] 13.8 [10.9-16.7]
2002 16.3 [15.0-17.5] 17.7 [15.8-19.5] 14.4 [12.8-16.0]
2003 15.8 [14.3-17.4] 17.7 [15.5-20.0] 13.3 [11.9-14.7]
2004 14.5 [13.4-15.6] 15.5 [13.9-17.1] 13.3 [12.1-14.6]
2005 15.7 [13.9-17.4] 18.6 [16.2-21.1] 11.7 [9.8-13.6]
2006 15.5 [14.2-16.7] 16.1 [14.3-17.8] 14.7 [13.0-16.5]
2007 14.5 [13.2-15.8] 15.1 [13.4-16.9] 13.6 [11.5-15.6]
2008 14.1 [12.5-15.6] 15.2 [12.7-17.6] 12.6 [11.1-14.2]
2009 13.4 [12.2-14.6] 14.9 [13.3-16.5] 11.8 [10.2-13.4]
2010 15 [13.4-16.5] 16.6 [13.9-19.2] 13.5 [11.7-15.3]
2011 14.1 [11.6-16.6] 15.9 [12.1-19.6] 10.9 [9.4-12.3]
2012 12.9 [11.3-14.5] 13.9 [11.6-16.2] 11.5 [9.7-13.2]
2013 12.9 [10.9-15.0] 14.8 [11.8-17.8] 11 [8.8-13.1]
2015 14.8 [12.6-17.0] 16.7 [13.4-20.0] 12.0 [9.9-14.0]
2017 15.3 [11.3-19.4] 14.4 [11.5-17.2] 16.3 [8.6-24.1]
2019 10.6 [8.9-12.3] 10.0 [7.8-12.3] 11.4 [8.9-13.9]
2020 14.4 [9.6-19.2] 14.6 [8.6-20.6] !

*Among daily smokers.
! Estimates for females in 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.

Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey,1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.