NEW YORK — The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults dropped to 9% in 2025, according to government survey data released in May 2026. In 2025, 1 in 11 U.S. adults reported being current smokers.

The 2025 rate marked a continuation of a historic decline, following a milestone in 2024 when adult smoking prevalence fell below 10% for the first time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined current cigarette smoking as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime and currently smoking every day or some days. The preliminary CDC findings were based on survey responses from more than 24,200 adults.

Cigarette smoking has long been considered the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The decline in U.S. adult smoking rates over decades has been attributed to cigarette taxes, tobacco price hikes, smoking bans, public education campaigns, and reduced social acceptability of smoking in public. In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers.

Concurrently, the use of electronic cigarettes among U.S. adults was about 7% in 2025 and held steady compared to previous recent years.

“The continued decline in smoking is a monumental public health achievement that has saved millions of lives and billions in healthcare costs.” said Yolonda Richardson, president and chief executive of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. She added that the “‘Tips from Former Smokers’ campaign alone helped more than 1 million Americans quit smoking and saved over $7.3 billion in healthcare costs.”

Richardson also noted that current smoking-prevention efforts have been set back by cuts President Donald Trump's administration made that eliminated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office on Smoking and Health and its “Tips from Former Smokers” advertising campaign. “This critical work must be restored and sustained to continue reducing smoking-related disease, death and healthcare costs nationwide.” she said.