Quitter percentage among males and females

In 2020, quitter percentages among males (68.8%) and females (72.7%) did not differ significantly.²⁴ However, a greater percentage of males had ever smoked,²⁵ and were current smokers²⁶ (Figure 5.2).

Similar patterns have been observed since 1999; while smoking rates (both current and ever) were higher among males, similar percentages of both male and female ever-smokers had quit (Figure 5.3; Figure 5.4).

Among males, quitter percentage appears to have risen steadily until 2008, after which there was a slight downturn for a few years before once again increasing (Figure 5.3). Among females, quitter percentage appears to have risen fairly steadily since 1999, though with a dip in 2017 (Figure 5.4).

Figure 5.2 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 5.2: Percentage of respondents who have ever smoked (current and former smokers), and quitter percentage*, among males and females, 2020
	Current Smoker	Former Smoker	Quitter percentage
Males	12.1 [10.7-13.4]	26.6 [24.9-28.4]	68.8 [65.2-71.8]
Females	8.6 [7.5-9.7]	22.9 [21.3-24.5]	72.7 [69.5-75.8]

*Quitter percentage is calculated as the percentage of ever smokers who were former smokers at time of survey.
Data source: Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2020.

Bar and line graph showing percentage of males who have ever smoked (current and former smokers), and quitter percentage from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Bar and line graph showing percentage of females who have ever smoked (current and former smokers), and quitter percentage from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 5.3 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 5.3: Percentage of males who have ever smoked (current and former smokers), and quitter percentage*, 1999-2020
	Former Smoker	Current Smoker	Ever Smoker	Quit Rate
1999	28.8	27.3	56.0	51.3
2000	29.0	25.8	54.8	52.9
2001	27.3 [25.1-29.5]	23.9 [22.2-25.6]	51.2 [49.1-53.2]	53.4 [50.1-56.6]
2002	28.1 [26.6-29.7]	23.0 [21.8-24.3]	51.2 [49.6-52.8]	55.0 [52.8-57.2]
2003	29.3 [27.6-31.0]	23.3 [21.5-25.1]	52.6 [50.7-54.5]	55.7 [52.9-58.5]
2004	29.5 [27.7-31.4]	22.0 [20.4-23.7]	51.5 [49.5-53.6]	57.3 [54.6-60.0]
2005	31.1 [29.1-33.1]	21.6 [19.9-23.3]	52.7 [50.6-54.8]	59.0 [56.2-61.9]
2006	30.9 [29.1-32.7]	20.3 [18.8-21.8]	51.2 [49.3-53.2]	60.4 [57.9-62.9]
2007	31.3 [29.6-33.0]	20.4 [18.9-21.9]	51.7 [49.7-53.7]	60.5 [58.1-63.0]
2008	33.0 [31.0-35.0]	20.1 [18.5-21.7]	53.1 [51.1-55.1]	62.1 [59.4-64.9]
2009	29.4 [27.6-31.2]	19.2 [17.6-20.8]	48.7 [46.7-50.7]	60.5 [57.6-63.3]
2010	29.1 [27.4-30.9]	19.7 [18.2-21.3]	48.8 [47.0-50.7]	59.6 [56.9-62.4]
2011	27.0 [25.4-28.6]	19.7 [17.9-21.4]	46.6 [44.6-48.7]	57.9 [54.9-60.8]
2012	31.8 [29.7-33.9]	18.4 [16.6-20.3]	50.3 [47.9-52.7]	63.3 [61.2-65.6]
2013	29 [27.0-31.1]	16 [14.2-17.9]	45.1 [42.7-47.4]	64.4 [61.0-67.9]
2015	30.1 [28.0-32.2]	15.6 [14.0-17.3]	45.8 [43.5-48.0]	65.8 [62.5-69.1]
2017	29.7 [27.1-32.3]	16.7 [14.4-19.0]	35.4 [32.8-38.1]	64.0 [59.87-68.14]
2019	26.0 [24.3-27.6]	12.7 [11.2-14.1]	38.6 [36.6-40.6]	67.2 [64.2-70.3]
2020	26.6 [24.9-28.4]	12.1 [10.7-13.4]	38.7 [36.8-40.6]	68.8 [65.8-71.8]

*Quitter percentage is calculated as the percentage of ever smokers who were former smokers at time of survey.
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.

Figure 5.4 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 5.4: Percentage of females who have ever smoked (current and former smokers), and quitter percentage*, 1999-2020
	Former Smoker	Current Smoker	Ever Smoker	Quit Rate
1999	22.0	23.3	45.3	48.6
2000	23.1	23.1	46.2	50.0
2001	20.5 [18.8-22.1]	19.6 [17.9-21.3]	40.1 [38.3-41.9]	51.0 [47.5-54.6]
2002	22.0 [20.5-23.5]	19.9 [18.7-21.0]	41.9 [40.4-43.5]	52.6 [50.0-55.1]
2003	23.7 [22.1-25.3]	18.5 [17.2-19.8]	42.2 [40.4-44.0]	56.1 [53.4-58.9]
2004	21.6 [20.1-23.2]	17.2 [15.9-18.6]	38.9 [37.1-40.7]	55.6 [52.8-58.5]
2005	24.4 [22.7-26.1]	15.9 [14.6-17.2]	40.3 [38.5-42.1]	60.6 [57.7-63.5]
2006	23.4 [21.9-24.9]	17.0 [15.7-18.3]	40.4 [38.5-42.2]	58.0 [55.4-60.6]
2007	24.9 [23.2-26.5]	18.1 [16.7-19.5]	43.0 [41.2-44.8]	57.9 [55.0-60.8]
2008	24.5 [22.9-26.0]	15.7 [14.5-17.0]	40.2 [38.4-42.0]	60.9 [58.2-63.5]
2009	24.2 [22.8-25.6]	15.9 [14.4-17.3]	40.1 [38.4-41.7]	60.4 [57.5-63.3]
2010	23.7 [22.1-25.3]	13.8 [12.6-15.1]	37.5 [35.7-39.3]	63.1 [60.3-66.0]
2011	23.8 [22.3-25.3]	15.0 [13.7-16.4]	38.8 [37.0-40.7]	61.3 [58.5-64.1]
2012	24.1 [22.5-25.7]	13.9 [12.6-15.2]	38.0 [36.2-40.0]	63.4 [60.5-66.4]
2013	22.8 [21.1-24.4]	13.3 [11.8-14.8]	36 [34.1-37.9]	63.2 [59.7-66.7]
2015	24.4 [22.7-26.1]	10.4 [9.2-11.6]	34.8 [32.8-36.8]	70.1 [67.1-73.1]
2017	21.9 [19.5-24.3]	13.5 [11.7-15.3]	46.3 [43.3-49.4]	61.9 [57.33-66.45]
2019	23.0 [21.5-24.5]	11.1 [9.9-12.2]	34.1 [32.3-35.8]	67.6 [64.6-70.5]
2020	22.9 [21.3-24.5]	8.6 [7.5-9.7]	31.6 [29.8-33.3]	72.7 [69.5-75.8]