Over 70,000 people die from direct smoking a year...Socio-economic costs over 13 trillion won

May 30, 2025

Over 70,000 people die from direct smoking a year...Socio-economic costs over 13 trillion won
Data=KCDC



On the occasion of World No Smoking Day on May 31, health authorities released statistics on smoking harm.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths from direct smoking was estimated to be 72,689 in 2022, and direct and indirect socio-economic costs were estimated to be 13.6316 trillion won.

In order to calculate the number of deaths and the risk of death from direct smoking, a total of four cohort data, including a customized database for smoking harm research, and statistics on the cause of death by the National Statistical Office were analyzed, and the number of deaths from direct smoking increased to 61,360 (53,930 men and 7,430 women) in 2020, 63,426 (55,722 men and 7,704 women) in 2021, and 72,689 (63,452 men and 9,237 women) in 2022.




As of 2022, the risk of death of ' current smokers' was 1.7 times higher for men and 1.8 times higher for women than non-smokers, and the risk of death of 'past smokers' who used to be smokers but now don't smoke is 1.1 times higher for men and 1.3 times higher for women.

Over 70,000 people die from direct smoking a year...Socio-economic costs over 13 trillion won
Data=KCDC
In the case of direct expenses such as medical expenses and transportation expenses due to direct smoking and indirect expenses such as productivity loss due to early death and medical use, 12.8912 trillion won in 2020, 12.9754 trillion won in 2021, and 13.6316 trillion won in 2022.

Ji Young-mi, Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said "Smoking is the most representative health risk factor that causes chronic diseases such as various cancers, and smoking cessation practice is paramount not only for individual health but also for a healthy future society."We will continue to make efforts to establish scientific grounds for national tobacco control policies and smoking cessation projects by calculating the number of deaths and socio-economic costs caused by periodic smoking."






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.