3 min read
Emerging Markets: Where the Cigarette Industry Is Still Growing
While smoking declines in the West, cigarette sales are stable or rising in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The industry's pivot to emerging markets is a strategic shift with profound public health implications.
The cigarette market in Indonesia is growing. In Nigeria, it's expanding. In Pakistan, it's stable at high levels. **The industry's future is not in the West—where regulation is tightening and smoking is declining. It's in the emerging markets where regulation is weak, populations are young, and cigarettes are still aspirational. The industry is pursuing growth in the Global South even as it positions itself as a 'smoke-free' company in the Global North.**
