Average retail price of cigarettes in the United Kingdom (UK) 2000-2022

The price of cigarettes in the United Kingdom has substantially increased each year since 2000. In 2022, the average retail price of a 20 pack of cigarettes was 12.61 British pounds.

Cigarette taxes

As of 2022, the most expensive country in which to purchase cigarettes in Europe was Ireland, with the UK in second place. Cigarette prices across Europe are driven by the respective taxes imposed within each of the member states and consist of a specific duty per thousand cigarettes and an ad valorem rate onto the recommended retail price, in addition to value added tax (VAT). Thus, the highest rates of taxation are reflected in the retail prices. Governments that impose such strong barriers to the purchasing of tobacco are considered 'nanny states', with high levels of control on other factors, such as advertising, bans of tobacco products on retail displays and graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

UK tobacco industry

The sales of tobacco in the UK has generally been decreasing since 2005. As of 2022, the annual expenditure was at about 21.3 billion British pounds, marking an overall decrease of over 40 percent compared to expenditure in 2005. However, despite the high taxes in the UK and the decrease in expenditure, the revenue of the tobacco industry is expected to grow in coming years. By 2027, the tobacco products market is forecast to have a revenue of about 25.6 billion British pounds.