Smoking in Rwanda

Current smoking trends for the overall adult population in Rwanda show a decrease from 2000 (15%) to 2015 (10%), with a projection to decrease further to 9% by 2025. For women there has been a downwards year by year trend in smoking prevalence, starting and remaining very low, from 6.5% in 2000 to 4% in 2015, and projected to be around 3.5% by 2025. For men the trend has gone in the same direction, downwards, with 25% being current smokers in 2000, 18% in 2015 and a projection of around 16% 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 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.