The stunning collapse of smoking in America

Share of US adults who currently smoke cigarettes, 1965–2024.

Chart showing the decline of smoking prevalence in the US to 9.9 percent in 2024

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Note: NHIS was redesigned in 1997 and again in 2019; comparisons across these breaks should be made with caution. Years without survey data are omitted. 2023 and 2024 figures from Agaku et al., NEJM Evidence (2026).

Chart: Bryan Walsh/VoxSource: CDC; American Lung Association; Agaku et al. (2026)