Quitter percentage by age

Bar chart showing quitter percentage among ever smokers, by age group, in 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Quitter percentage varied significantly by age group,27 increasing dramatically with increasing age, as expected given that older smokers have had more time to become former smokers. In 2020, 40% of ever-smokers aged 20-24 were former smokers when surveyed, while three-quarters of ever-smokers aged 45 and older had quit (Figure 5.5).

The same pattern of increasing quitter percentage with age was observed in all years since 1999 (Figure 5.6). Between 1999 and 2020, quitter percentage appears to have generally increased among ever-smokers aged 20 and older. Among youth ever-smokers, quitter percentage was lower and more variable, appearing to decrease in the latest year with available data.

Figure 5.5 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 5.5: Quitter percentage among ever smokers*, by age group, 2020
Age 15-19 20-24 25-44 45+
Ever smokers ! 40.0 [31.8-48.2] 64.2 [59.3-69.2] 75.0 [72.6-77.3]

*Quitter percentage is calculated as the percentage of ever smokers who were former smokers at time of survey.
! Estimate suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Data source: Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2020.

Line graph showing quitter percentage among ever smokers, by age group, from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figures 5.6 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 5.6: Quitter percentage among ever smokers*, by age group, 1999-2020
  15-19 20-24 25-44 45+
1999 15.4 22.4 41.3 66.2
2000 16.4 23.4 41.6 67.4
2001 18.0 [14.1-21.8] 22.5 [19.6-25.4] 46.1 [42.2-50.0] 65.8 [61.3-70.3]
2002 15.7 [13.1-18.2] 26.0 [22.6-29.4] 45.5 [42.3-48.7] 68.1 [65.9-70.3]
2003 13.4 [10.8-16.0] 29.0 [25.6-32.5] 45.0 [41.4-48.6] 70.5 [67.7-73.3]
2004 17.6 [13.0-22.1] 28.2 [24.5-31.9] 45.8 [42.2-49.5] 71.5 [68.7-74.2]
2005 13.5 [10.2-16.8] 28.4 [24.5-32.3] 47.8 [43.7-51.8] 74.2 [71.7-76.7]
2006 13.3 [9.8-16.8] 25.1 [21.5-28.6] 49.0 [42.4-52.5] 71.8 [69.6-73.9]
2007 13.0 [9.2-16.8] 28.9 [23.5-31.3] 53.4 [49.8-56.9] 68.5 [66.3-70.8]
2008 11.6 [8.1-15.1] 21.3 [18.1-24.6] 54.4 [50.2-58.6] 72.3 [69.9-74.6]
2009 12.9 [9.2-16.5] 23.4 [19.4-27.3] 48.6 [44.4-52.8] 71.8 [69.5-74.0]
2010 12.3 [8.9-15.6] 27.2 [22.9-31.5] 47.3 [42.8-51.7] 73.2 [70.8-75.6]
2011 16.9 [11.5-22.4] 24.2 [19.9-28.6] 47.1 [42.5-51.8] 69.9 [67.6-72.2]
2012 15.8 [11.6-20.1] 23.0 [19.0-26.9] 49.8 [45.2-54.4] 74.6 [72.3-76.9]
2013 9.9 [5.3-14.6] 22.6 [16.7-28.5] 52.1 [46.4-57.8] 74.4 [71.6-77.1]
2015 13.9 [4.7-23.2] 28.3 [21.9-34.6] 57.5 [52.3-62.8] 77.0 [74.6-79.5]
2017 5.8 [2.5-9.1] 26.5 [19.7-33.2] 48.7 [41.6-55.8] 72.7 [69.4-75.9]
2019 ! 28.1 [20.5-35.8] 56.3 [51.1-61.5] 74.4 [72.2-76.7]
2020 ! 40.0 [31.8-48.2] 64.2 [59.3-69.2] 75.0 [72.6-77.3]

*Quitter percentage is calculated as the percentage of ever smokers who were former smokers at time of survey.
! Estimates for age 15-19 in 2019 and 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Data source: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.