It’s common knowledge that men throughout Asia smoke a lot, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed just how much. Indonesian men topped the chart at 76 percent. That’s right, more than three-quarters of Indonesian men are reported to be smokers and the cost of treating diseases related to smoking made up 0.29 percent of the nation’s GDP in 2015.
Laos, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand round out the top 10, with all countries reporting male smokers at near half, reported The Nation.
Approximately 41 percent of Thai men are reported to smoke regularly.
Looking at Southeast Asia as a whole, 32 percent of men are reported to smoke while less than 3 percent of women do.
The WHO reports that tobacco use kills 6 million people globally each year while Asia is home to 30 percent of the world’s smokers, 80 percent of whom are lower-wage earners, reported The Nation.
While some Asian nations have taken steps to curb tobacco use, such as Cambodia, which banned smoking in public and workplaces, many governments may be hesitant to create laws against the products since some earn large amounts of tax revenue from them, as is the case with Thailand’s “sin tax.”
Check out the Asian nations with the highest rate of male smokers (by percentage of men over 15 years old):
Indonesia: 76
Laos: 57
South Korea: 50
China: 48
Vietnam: 47
Cambodia: 44
Malaysia: 43
Philippines: 43
Pakistan: 42
Thailand: 41
