Tobacco

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) monitors the use of tobacco and nicotine products and conducts research related to preventing and reducing the related health risks and adverse effects. THL is also responsible for national activities to promote smoking cessation.

Tobacco and nicotine free Finland by 2030: the objective of the Tobacco Act

The aim of the Finnish Tobacco Act is to end to use of tobacco and nicotine products. The objective is considered to be reached if no more than 5% of the population uses tobacco or nicotine products in 2030. Nicotine replacement therapy is excluded from this objective as it is regulated under the Medicines Act.

Read more of the Finnish tobacco and nicotine policy (Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) 

Read more of the goal and the Tobacco-Free Finland 2030 network 

Prevalence of Tobacco and Nicotine Product Use

Below is a summary of key national monitoring data on smoking, snus use, nicotine pouch use, and e-cigarette use among the adult population, young adults in tertiary education students, and youth in Finland.

Read more in the Tobacco Statistics (Tupakkatilasto)

See results from adults in 2024 by population groups in TerveSuomi portal (in Finnish)

For international comparisons with youth data (incl. e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches) from 2024, please see the ESPAD 2024 results (in Finnish with link to international report)
ESPAD 2024 results

Smoking

Smoking has decreased among men since the 1960s and among women especially since the 2000s. In 2024, 10% of Finns aged 20–64 smoked daily. Among men, 11% smoked daily, and among women, 9%. There are still significant differences in smoking rates between population groups. For example, those with lower education levels smoke significantly more than those with higher education, although smoking has also decreased among the less educated in recent years.

Among young adults, tertiary education students in 2024, 4% smoked daily (4% of women and 3% of men). Smoking was less common among university students (2% of women, 3% of men) than among students in universities of applied sciences (7% of women, 4% of men). Daily smoking has decreased in both groups.

Youth smoking has clearly declined since the turn of the millennium. In 2025, 3% of boys in comprehensive schools, 1% in general upper secondary schools, and 6% in vocational institutions smoked daily. 1 % of girls in comprehensive and general upper secondary school and 5% in vocational education smoked daily. 

The proportion of women who smoked during pregnancy has decreased in recent years. In 2024, 6 % of all mothers smoked during pregnancy.

Snus and Nicotine Pouches

The EU snus sales ban is enforced in Finland. Finland shares border with Sweden, where snus sales are allowed. In Finland, traveller imports of snus are allowed in a large quantity (1 kg/day). Nicotine pouches were first regulated as medicinal products, but their regulatory status was changed to tobacco surrogates in April 2023, freeing their sales. New sales regulations entered in force 1st August 2025.
Read more of the new sales regulations for nicotine pouches (Valvira)

Daily snus use among men has been between 1–3% since the early 2000s but increased slightly, especially before nicotine pouches entered the market. In 2024, 4% of men aged 20–64 used snus daily, compared to 6% in 2022. Among women, 1% used snus daily in 2024.

Among young adults, tertiary education students in 2024, 3% used snus daily (1% of women, 4% of men). Snus use was more common among men than women in both universities (1% of women, 3% of men) and universities of applied sciences (2% of women, 6% of men). Snus use decreased especially among men since 2021.

Daily snus use increased among boys in vocational schools between 2010 and 2019. In comprehensive and general upper secondary schools, the growth leveled off after 2015. In the last years, snus use has mostly decreased with the exception of year 2023, when it increased in vocational education In 2025, 3% of boys in comprehensive, 2% in general upper secondary, and 8% in vocational schools used snus daily. Among girls, daily snus use was rare (1 %, 0,3 %, 2 %). Among girls in vocational education, daily snus use increased between 2017 and 2019, and turned to decrease in 2025.

In 2024, 8% of men and 2% of women aged 20–64 used nicotine pouches daily. The proportion of those using nicotine pouches daily or occasionally was 16% for men and 5% for women. In 2022, the corresponding figures were 3% and 1% (daily use), and 8% and 2% (daily or occasional use). Use of nicotine pouches increased especially among 20-39 year-olds. In this group, among men, daily use of nicotine pouches increased from 4% to 13%, and current (daily or occasional use) from 13% to 24% between years 2022 and 2024. Among 20-39-year-old women, daily use of nicotine pouches increased from 1% to 5%, and current use from 3% to 9%.

E-cigarettes

E-cigarettes have been regulated similar to combustible tobacco products in Finland since 2016, including retail sale licensing, ban on distance sales, point-of-sale display and advertising ban, ban on other than tobacco flavours, and inclusion to smoking bans. Since 2023, also standardized packaging has applied to e-cigarettes with and without nicotine e-liquids.
Read more of the product control in Finland (Valvira) 

Regular use of e-cigarettes has remained low among adults in Finland. In 2024, 1% of men and women aged 20–64 used nicotine-containing e-cigarettes daily. E-cigarette use is more common among young adults, men, and smokers.

In 2024, daily use of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes was rare among university and university of applied sciences students. Only 1% reported daily use.

Among youth, e-cigarette use generally declined between 2015 and 2021 but increased again between 2021 and 2023. In 2025, the increase continued only among girls in vocational education. Daily e-cigarette use was reported in 2025 by 5% of boys in comprehensive, 1% in general upper secondary, and 5% in vocational schools used e-cigarettes daily. Among girls, the corresponding figures were 6%, 3%, and 9%. The increase has been attributed to new disposable vapes with attractive designs and flavours, which have partially circumvented the regulations.

Other Tobacco or Nicotine Products

Heated tobacco products are not commonly sold in Finland, but traveller imports from abroad are allowed. In 2024, 2% of men and women aged 20–64 used heated tobacco products daily. Use among higher education students and youth has not been studied.

Waterpipe use is not regularly monitored in Finland. Its use has been rare among both adults and youth.