Manufactured cigarettes remain the tobacco product of choice for the vast majority of daily smokers in Fiji, according to the Fiji STEPS Survey 2025, underscoring the continued dominance of commercial cigarettes in driving tobacco-related health risks.
The survey found that 80.6 per cent of daily smokers consume manufactured cigarettes, highlighting their widespread availability and continued appeal despite ongoing public health warnings.
Women who smoke daily were more likely than men to use manufactured cigarettes. An estimated 87.7 per cent of female daily smokers reported smoking manufactured cigarettes, compared with 78.6 per cent of male daily smokers.
More than one in three adults in Fiji currently use tobacco, according to findings from the Fiji STEPS Survey 2025.
The STEPS Survey, which assessed NCD risk factors and conditions, was conducted between May 2024 and June 2025 among adults aged 18 to 69 years.
The survey shows that 36.3 per cent of adults in this age group currently smoke tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipes, suki or shisha. Tobacco use is significantly higher among men, with 50.8 per cent of males reporting current smoking, compared with 20.6 per cent of females.
Daily smoking remains a concern, with 19.5 per cent of adults smoking tobacco every day. Again, men were more likely to be daily smokers (29.2 per cent) than women (8.9 per cent).
Among daily smokers, the vast majority consume manufactured cigarettes. The survey found that 80.6 per cent of daily smokers use manufactured cigarettes, with usage particularly high among women at 87.7 per cent, compared with 78.6 per cent among men.
On average, daily smokers consume 4.6 manufactured cigarettes per day, with men smoking slightly more (4.7 cigarettes) than women (4.2 cigarettes).
The use of smokeless tobacco products — including snuff, snus, chewing tobacco, and betel nut mixed with tobacco or suki — was reported by 9.5 per cent of adults. This form of tobacco use was far more common among men (15.3 per cent) than women (3.3 per cent).
The survey also captured emerging trends in nicotine consumption, showing that 4.5 per cent of adults currently use electronic cigarettes. Usage among men (6.5 per cent) was nearly three times higher than among women (2.2 per cent).
