The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) said that there were 9.4 million smokers in Egypt in 2011, the equivalent of 17 percent of the total population.
In a statement to the press in anticipation of the World Health Organization’s No Tobacco Day on 31 May, CAMPAS said that there are 4.1 million smokers in urban areas and 5.3 million in rural areas. In addition, there are 13 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke from family members.
CAPMAS also stated that 46.7 percent of males aged 35-44 are smokers while 0.6 percent of women older than 55, 61 percent of whom are illiterate, also smoke. 58 percent of all smokers do not possess an intermediate certificate and half of them are illiterate.
Almost eight percent of smokers hold a university degree and only 0.2 percent have a post-graduate degree.
