Greek women top EU smoking rates
Greek women have the highest smoking rate in the European Union, according to a Eurostat report released Wednesday, raising fresh concerns about the nation’s public health.
In 2023, 32% of Greek women smoked — far above the EU average of 21%. Among men, Greece ranked fifth at 40%, behind Bulgaria and Latvia, where nearly half of male adults smoke. Overall, Bulgaria recorded the highest smoking rate in the EU at 37%, followed by Greece at 36% of people aged 15 and over.
Eurostat lists smoking as a key health risk factor tied to sustainable development goals. While the EU average has dropped from 26% in 2017 to 24% in 2023, Greece remains among the bloc’s heaviest-smoking nations.
The National Public Health Organization (EODY) warns that smoking is responsible for nearly one in four male deaths and 7.5% of female deaths in Greece. It is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is linked to the vast majority of lung cancer cases. Health experts stress it also harms fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and adolescent development.
Public health advocates say the latest figures should prompt urgent anti-smoking campaigns and stricter enforcement of smoking bans — laws that remain widely ignored in parts of Greece.
