Key Market Indicators
Costa Rican tobacco consumption is projected to decline significantly over the next five years. By 2028, it is expected that just 4.4% of individuals aged 15 and older will be daily smokers, down from 6.4% in 2023. This represents a yearly decrease of approximately 5.7 percentage points on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) basis. This trend is part of a long-term decline in smoking rates in Costa Rica, which have been falling steadily since 1995. Over this period, the demand for tobacco has decreased by an average of 7.6 percentage points annually. In contrast, tobacco production in Costa Rica saw a notable increase in 2019. The country produced 18 metric tons of tobacco that year, up from 16 metric tons in 2018—an increase of 12.5%. However, this rise is set against a broader historical backdrop of declining production. Since 1966, the supply of tobacco in Costa Rica has decreased by an average of 21.4% per year.
