Smoking prevalence among males and females

Bar chart showing current smoking prevalence among males and females, grades 7 to 9 from 2018 to 2019, and age 15 to 19 in 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Smoking prevalence was not significantly different between male and female students in grades 7-9 in 2018-19.42 Among youth aged 15-19, smoking prevalence was significantly greater among males than females in 2020,43 although exactc estimates cannot be reported (Figure 7.5).

Over time, among 15- to 19-year-olds, prevalence patterns have shifted from higher estimates among females (from 1999 to 2003), to similar estimates for several years in the mid-2000s and then greater prevalence among males in the most recent decade (Figure 7.6).

Among students in grades 7-9, a similar pattern was observed, although with much smaller differences: females had slightly higher smoking rates from 1994 to 2004-05, followed by slightly higher rates among males, equalizing in the most recent waves (Figure 7.6).

Figure 7.5 data table with 95% confidence intervals
igure 7.5: Current smoking prevalence (%) among males and females, Grades 7-9, 2018-19, and age 15-19, 2020
  Grades 7-9 Age 15-19
  Males Females Males Females
Current 1.1 [0.8-1.4] 0.9 [0.6-1.1] 3.1 [2.0-4.3] 3.1 [2.0-4.3]
Daily 0.5 [0.4-0.7] 0.4 [0.2-0.5] 3.1 [2.0-4.3]* 3.1 [2.0-4.3]*
Non-daily 0.6 [0.4-0.8] 0.5 [0.3-0.6]

*Daily and non-daily for age 15-19 combined due to low numbers.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2020; Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2018-19.

Line graph showing current smoking prevalence (daily and non-daily) among males and females, grades 7 to 9, and age 15 to 19, from 1994 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 7.6 Data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 7.6: Current smoking prevalence (%) (daily and non-daily) among males and females, Grades 7-9 and age 15-19, 1994-2020
  Grades 6-9 Age 15-19
  Males Females Males Females
1994 9.8 10.8 N/A N/A
1999 N/A N/A 26.8 28.8
2000 N/A N/A 23.3 27.4
2001 N/A N/A 21.4 [18.6-24.2] 23.6 [20.8-26.3]
2002 3.7 4.9 20.6 [18.5-22.8] 23.4 [21.1-25.7]
2003 N/A N/A 16.9 [14.7-19.0] 19.9 [17.3-22.4]
2004 (YSS 2004-05) 2.4 [1.5-3.4] 3.0 [1.7-4.2] 18.6 [16.0-21.2] 18.2 [15.6-20.7]
2005 N/A N/A 17.8 [15.3-20.3] 18.3 [15.7-20.9]
2006 (YSS 2006-07) 4.3 [2.6-6.0] 3.2 [2.5-3.8] 16.1 [13.8-18.4] 13.5 [11.5-15.5]
2007 N/A N/A 15.1 [12.7-17.6] 15.2 [13.1-17.4]
2008 (YSS 2008-09) 5.1 [3.9-6.3] 3.9 [2.9-4.8] 16.8 [14.4-19.1] 12.7 [10.7-14.8]
2009 N/A N/A 14.9 [12.7-17.1] 10.9 [9.1-12.6]
2010 (YSS 2010-11) 2.8 [2.1-3.6] 2.7 [1.9-3.5] 13.1 [11.0-15.1] 11.3 [9.2-13.4]
2011 N/A N/A 13.0 [10.6-15.4] 10.5 [8.4-12.6]
2012 (YSS 2012-13) 2.6 [2.1-3.2] 2.2 [1.4-3.1] 12.3 [10.2-14.4] 9.4 [7.4-11.3]
2013 N/A N/A 13.2 [10.5-15.9] 8.1 [6.0-10.2]
2014-15 (CSTADS)     N/A N/A
2015 N/A N/A 11.0 [8.0-13.9] 8.3 [5.6-11.1]
2016-17 (CSTADS) 1.1 [0.8-1.4] 0.8 [0.6-1.0] N/A N/A
2017 N/A N/A 9.7 [7.3-12.2] 5.9 [4.4-7.4]
2019 N/A N/A 6.0 [3.8-8.1] !
2020 N/A N/A ! !

*Exact estimates suppressed due to unacceptable quality. The upper bounds for the estimates are less than 2%.
! Estimates for females age 15-19 in 2019, and males and females age 15-19 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; Youth Smoking Survey, 1994, 2002, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13; Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey 2014-2015, 2016-2017, 2018-2019.