Smoking in Costa Rica

Current smoking prevalence trends in the general population in Costa Rica have declined from 18% in 2000 to 12% in 2015, and are projected to decrease further to around 9.5% by 2025. For men the decrease has been from 27% in 2000 to 18% in 2015, and is projected to decrease further to 14% by 2025. For women the decrease has been from 10% in 2000 to 6% in 2015, with a projected further decrease to 5% by 2025. The WHO published prevalence trend estimates in tobacco smoking, as shown here, in their 2018 2nd edition report, which show slightly different smoking prevalence to the WHO country profiles. Data for the estimates are not age standardised, and were obtained from WHO databases. The trend lines are projections, not predictions, of future attainment. A projection indicates a likely endpoint if the country maintains its tobacco control efforts at the same level that it has implemented them to date. Therefore the impact of recent interventions could alter the expected endpoint shown in the projection. While the methods of estimation used in the first and second editions of the WHO report are the same, the volume of data available for the second edition is larger i.e. 200 more national surveys. The results presented are therefore more robust.