The idea of electronic cigarettes dates back to 1930 when a patent was given a similar device in the United States, however, the first successful commercial model was manufactured until 2003, by the Chinese pharmacist and inventor Hun Lake, what paved the way for the launch of this industry globally.
Hun Lake, 52, was a smoker of evil seeking to find an alternative to traditional cigarettes, which led him to innovation, which later was popular.
Since 2003, more products have been developed, from evaporation to heating devices to multiple flavors, which encouraged people to abandon traditional tobacco products to new devices, and encouraged non -smokers to use them.
In 2024, the number of e -cigarette users around the world was estimated at about 114 million people, according to the “Global Condition to Reduction of Tobacco Harm” report, and this number shows a noticeable increase compared to previous years, when the number of electronic cigarette users was estimated at 82 million people in 2021.
The legal status of electronic cigarettes
The World Health Organization urged governments to treat electronic cigarettes such as tobacco and prohibit all flavors, however, by 2024, about 54% of adults around the world can be legally accessed to electronic cigarettes (equivalent to 3.1 billion people), while 36% live in countries prohibiting their use (billion people), and 10% in countries where there are no specific legislation on (610 million people), according to the previous report.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjbr8cpwl3y
Global electronic cigarette market
The electronic cigarette market has grown significantly in recent years, as the market market size reached 24.6 billion dollars in 2024, and the market is expected to achieve revenues of $ 27.2 billion in 2025, according to the Statista platform.
The EMAC group expects the market size to reach 41.6 billion dollars by 2033, with an annual growth rate of 5.4% during the period 2025-2033.
This growth is due to several factors, including:
- Marketing, especially for young people, especially on social media.
- Low cost of electronic cigarettes compared to traditional.
- The belief that it is less healthy than regular cigarettes.
On the ground, and in the “Statista Global Reception” for consumers held in early 2022, 27% of the participants of the “Millennium Girl” in the United States stated that they used electronic cigarettes.
Although there are many health concerns that surround these products, as medical studies indicate their harm to human health, they are very popular with consumers, especially young people.
China is the largest product
- China is the most prominent global product of electronic cigarettes, according to Reuters, and the country produces about 90% of the fibs around the world, according to the “Tupaco Reporter” platform.
- The Chinese city of Chenthen is the main center of this industry, which the British Guardian newspaper described in a report as “the capital of electronic smoking in the world.”
- Chinese manufacturers are highly focused on exporting their products to international markets according to the “Tupaco Reporter” platform.
- China’s e -cigarette exports in 2024 amounted to about $ 11 billion, and China exports more than 90% of its products abroad.
- The United States acquired the largest percentage of China’s exports, as it acquired 36% of the total exports, equivalent to $ 3.7 billion, followed by the United Kingdom with a value of $ 1.2 billion, then South Korea with 717 million dollars, and Germany with $ 677 million, according to the same platform.
- Chinese exports reached their climax in 2021, registering about 19 billion dollars, but have witnessed an annual decline since the result of the strict global regulatory regulations.
Nevertheless, the local electronic cigarette market in China is subject to strict control. In 2021, the government tobacco monopoly (STA) imposed controls on this industry, including licensing requirements and 36% consumption tax on production..
The Chinese authorities attended the cigarettes with various flavors, but this ban did not come until after electronic cigarettes began to threaten traditional cigarette sales, which generate $ 200 billion annually to the Chinese tobacco company run by the state, according to the Astushid Press. In China there are about 300 million smokers for traditional cigarettes, according to the World Health Organization.
America and European countries most used for electronic cigarettes
- North America acquires the largest market share in the global electronic cigarette market, and the United States, in particular, is a major contributor to the market growth, as it is considered one of the most used countries in the world for electronic cigarettes, in addition to the existence of an appropriate organizational and legal framework that allows it to be sold and consumed, according to the EMRC group.
- Based on the visions of the electronic cigarette market, Europe is considered the second largest market, as the United Kingdom, France and Sweden are considered one of the most prominent shareholders thanks to government policies that allow the trading of this type of cigarette.
- Electronic cigarettes are also spread in Asian countries, especially in Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ot_int93y
The 10 most prominent countries used for electronic cigarettes
Below is a list of the 10 most prominent countries in the world to use electronic cigarettes according to the “Reservation & Markets” platform, the Statista platform, and the statistics of the countries concerned:
1- Indonesia
Studies indicate that Indonesia is one of the highest countries in the world in the use of electronic cigarettes, a study in 2023 showed that 25%of the participants have tried electronic cigarettes at least once, and this percentage is higher than that registered in Switzerland 16%, the United States 15%, and the United Kingdom 13%.
Another study of Statista showed that the percentage of electronic cigarette smokers in selected countries has compared the world, and found that the highest percentage was in Indonesia, with 32% of consumers.
2- America
The American market is one of the largest markets for electronic cigarettes, as it is constantly growing in adults and youth alike.
The percentage of adults who use electronic cigarettes increased from 4.5% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023, which is equivalent to 17 million, and young people between the ages of 21 and 24 were the most used for electronic cigarettes (15.5%), according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
3- Britain
Britain is one of the most countries in the use of electronic cigarettes, with a significant increase in its use as a tool to quit smoking.
The number of e -cigarette users in Britain in 2024 was about 5.6 million people, equivalent to about 11% of the total adult population, and this represents the highest rate of registrar for electronic cigarettes in the country so far, according to the British Independent newspaper based on a report by the “Ash” organization.
4- France
In 2023, the number of e -cigarette users in France reached about 3.8 million people, equivalent to 7% of adults in the country, according to the “Global Status to reduce tobacco damage”.
The data indicates that the use of electronic cigarettes in France has witnessed a noticeable increase since 2016, as the daily use rate increased from 2.5% in that year to 5.5% in 2022, with the continued upward trend in the following years.
5- Germany
Germany records remarkable growth in the electronic cigarette market, with increasing interest in alternative products to smoking, and it is estimated that about 5 million people in Germany use electronic cigarettes regularly.
A German study found that the use of electronic cigarettes increased by 38% between 2016 and 2023, while increasing the use of electronic cigarettes significantly, especially among young women who often smoke traditional cigarettes.
6- Australia
The data extracted from the survey of the National Drug Strategy for Families 2022-2023 indicates a noticeable increase in the use of e-cigarettes among adults.
The number of daily users of electronic cigarettes increased from about 100,000 people (0.5%) in 2016 to about 700 thousand people (3.5%) in 2022-2023.
7- South Korea
South Korea is one of the growing markets for electronic cigarettes, and data issued by the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a noticeable increase in the use of electronic cigarettes among adults.
8- Russia
The use of electronic cigarettes in Russia is witnessing a remarkable increase, and a survey conducted in 2023 revealed that 21% of the participants use electronic cigarettes exclusively, while 16% of them used electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes together.
The market size increased by 18.7% in 2023, reaching about 170 billion rubles (2.1 billion dollars).
9- Brazil
Brazil records an increase in the use of electronic cigarettes, and the number of electronic cigarette users in Brazil reached about 2.9 million users. This number represents a significant increase from previous years, which highlights an increasing trend in e -cigarette consumption despite the long -term ban imposed by the country on its sale and import.
10- Japan
Japan shows increasing interest in electronic cigarettes as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, and the size of the electronic cigarette market in Japan was estimated at $ 1.18 billion in 2023, and it is expected that the size of the electronic cigarette market in Japan will reach 8.14 billion dollars by 2033 with an annual growth rate of 21.30%.
Electronic cigarettes in the Arab region
The electronic cigarette market in the Middle East and North Africa region grows dramatically, and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are pivotal countries in the regional market.
The value of the electronic cigarette market in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries was estimated in 2024 by about 670 million dollars, and it is expected to reach $ 2.34 billion by 2033, at a complex annual growth rate of 14.2%, according to the EMAC group.
The size of the broader Middle East and North Africa market is expected to exceed $ 1.5 billion by 2025, as the Gulf Cooperation Council countries contribute to the largest share in the region, according to the “Hangson Group” group.
The most prominent Arab countries in the electronic cigarette market
- Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia is a pioneer in the region, and the value of the electronic cigarette market was estimated at 610 million dollars in 2024, representing more than 60% of the Middle East and North Africa market, and the Kingdom has applied strict regulatory regulations, including certificates matching the standards of the European Union, which led to the unification of the market and increased compliance according to the “Hangson Group” group.
- The UAEThe value of the electronic cigarette market in the Emirates was estimated at between 250 and 300 million dollars in 2024, and Dubai is a major commercial center, and the market is a growing demand for devices with a single high -tech use, according to the previous source.
- Egypt: The size of the electronic cigarette market in Egypt is between 150-200 million dollars, which is a price sensitive market, and is dominated by open system, and the market depends mainly on the channels that are not connected to the Internet according to the previous source.
Facts you may not know about electronic cigarettes
Here are some facts that you may not know about electronic cigarettes, according to John Hopkins Medical College.
- Electronic cigarettes cause addiction just like traditional cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes and regular cigarettes contain nicotine, which research indicates that it may cause addiction such as heroin and cocaine. Worse than that, many e -cigarette users get a larger nicotine amount than they get from combustible tobacco products as users can buy additional power packages, which contain a higher concentration than nicotine, or increase the electronic cigarette voltage to obtain a larger dose of the material.
- Electronic cigarettes are not the best way to quit smoking
Despite its promotion as a helpful way to quit smoking, electronic cigarettes did not get the approval of the American Food and Drug Administration as a tool to quit smoking, and a recent study found that most of those who intended to use electronic cigarettes to get rid of the smoking habit, they ended up using traditional and electronic cigarettes together.
Electronic smoking is bad for the heart and lungs
Nicotine is the main substance in regular and electronic cigarettes, and it is severely caused by addiction, as it is a toxic substance, as it raises blood pressure and increases the level of adrenaline, and this increases the heart rate and the possibility of a heart attack.
