28 January 2026
The tobacco market in the ASEAN region remains dominated by traditional cigarettes, driven by high smoking prevalence in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Although cigarettes represent the largest share of tobacco product sales, recreational nicotine products — primarily e-cigarettes (vapes) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) — are increasing in sales.
Big Tobacco — Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI), and Imperial Brands (IB) – while reaping profits from cigarette sales, are further perpetuating nicotine addiction by expanding their portfolios of tobacco product, selling a false narrative to governments about harm reduction and nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) being a safer alternative.
Cigarette Sales: The Dominant Category
About 700 billion sticks of cigarette were sold in the ASEAN region with Indonesia accounting for the lion’s share (320 billion sticks), followed by the Philippines and Vietnam (Table 1). Based on 2024 estimated figures, cigarette sales remain substantial, particularly in lesser-regulated markets where smoking prevalence remains high such as Indonesia and the Philippines. Despite its rhetoric about smoking and health, the tobacco industry made about USD 42.8 billion selling cigarettes in the region.
Table 1: ASEAN Tobacco & Nicotine Product Unit Sales (Billion sticks estimated, 2024)
| Cigarettes (BSE) (billion sticks) | E-Cigarettes (BSE) (billion sticks) | HTPs (BSE) (billion sticks) | Largest Category | |
| Indonesia | 320.0 | 3.6 | 6.5 | Cigarettes |
| Philippines | 90.0 | 1.3 | 3.2 | Cigarettes |
| Vietnam | 80.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | Cigarettes |
| Thailand | 60.0 | 0.4 | 1.5 | Cigarettes |
| Malaysia | 50.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | Cigarettes |
| Singapore | 10.0 | 0.04 | 0.3 | Cigarettes |
| Cambodia | 30.0 | 0.08 | 0.5 | Cigarettes |
| Laos | 15.0 | 0.04 | 0.2 | Cigarettes |
| Myanmar | 40.0 | 0.06 | 0.4 | Cigarettes |
| Brunei | 5.0 | 0.02 | 0.1 | Cigarettes |
| Tobal ASEAN | 700+ | ~6.8 | ~16.5 | Cigarettes |
*Unit sales are expressed in billion stick equivalents, where one cigarette or heated tobacco stick equals one stick equivalent, and one e-cigarette unit (device or refill) is conservatively estimated to equal twenty stick equivalents based on average nicotine delivery.
In 1997, the then CEO of PMI said, if he was convinced cigarettes were a cause of lung cancer, he would halt production. Smoking causes 16 types of cancers including lung cancer, yet decades on, PMI continues to sell cigarettes and sold even more cigarettes in 2024 than in 2023.
The tobacco industry is enjoying astronomical profits from cigarette sales and won’t stop till it is compelled to. It is time for governments to act to protect public health.
Recreational Nicotine Products: E-Cigarettes and HTPs
The tobacco industry’s sales in e-cigarettes and HTPs are growing fast globally. While exact figures for ASEAN are fragmented, regional market research suggests that the e-cigarette market in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam had already reached USD 760 million by 2024 and was expected to grow substantially year by year unless governments act fast to put strict regulations in place.
Globally, the HTP market was valued at around USD 49.1 billion in 2024, with the Asia-Pacific region representing growing demand. Although Japan and South Korea have the strongest HTP uptake within the Asia-Pacific region, ASEAN markets (Table 2) such as the Philippines and Indonesia are increasingly being targeted by product launches such as PMI’s IQOS and JTI’s Ploom.
- PMI: cigarettes, IQOS (HTP), and VEEV (e-cigarette)
- BAT: cigarettes, glo (HTP) and Vuse (e-cigarette)
- JTI: cigarettes, Ploom (HTP)
- IB: cigarettes and smaller portfolios of recreational tobacco products
Although seven countries in the ASEAN region have banned e-cigarette and HTPs, there are still sales across the region and the industry benefits from these sales. Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia are seeing high sales, while Vietnam only recently banned them and is currently drawing up implementing regulations.
Table 2: ASEAN Recreational Nicotine Product Sales (USD, 2024 estimate)
| E-cigarette (USD million, est) | HTP (USD million, est) | |
| Indonesia | 400 | 120 |
| Philippines | 150 | 60 |
| Thailand | 50 | 20 |
| Vietnam | 70 | 30 |
| Malaysia | 60 | 25 |
| Singapore | 5 | 3 |
| Cambodia | 10 | 5 |
| Laos | 5 | 2 |
| Maymar | 8 | 3 |
| Brunei | 3 | 1 |
| Total ASEAN | ~761 | ~269 |
E-cigarette sales are growing particularly in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, where regulatory frameworks permit sales and demand is increasing. E-cigarette market value is significant relative to HTPs, although overall size still trails cigarette sales substantially. HTPs, while growing globally and in select Asia-Pacific markets, remain a smaller portion of the ASEAN nicotine market due to regulatory measures.
Despite comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorship in nearly all the countries, recreational nicotine products are promoted and sold online. Governments are facing challenges in enforcement. The tobacco industry is also re-using old marketing tactics such as music and sports (Formula 1) sponsorship to promote its newer brands.
The industry has increased its range of nicotine products, trapping more consumers, especially youth, into lifelong addiction. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines should follow the rest of ASEAN and ban sale of recreational nicotine products.
References
- ASEAN Tobacco Control Atlas (6th Edition). Tobacco consumption, market structure, and regulatory landscape in ASEAN countries. Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA).
- Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA). Tobacco industry presence and market dominance of transnational tobacco companies in ASEAN.
- Euromonitor International. Cigarettes and Alternative Nicotine Products in Asia Pacific. Market size, trends, and company-level analysis.
- Philip Morris International Inc. Annual Report and Integrated Report 2023–2024. Product portfolio and regional business overview.
- British American Tobacco plc. Annual Report and Form 20-F 2023–2024. Combustible and non-combustible product performance in Asia-Pacific.
- Japan Tobacco International. Annual Report 2023–2024. Cigarette and heated tobacco product expansion strategy in emerging markets.
- Imperial Brands plc. Annual Report 2023–2024. Global cigarette volumes and next-generation product development.
- KT&G Corporation. Annual and Sustainability Reports 2023–2024. International tobacco and reduced-risk product activities.
- Grand View Research. Heated Tobacco Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report, 2024.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Global Tobacco Epidemic Reports. Smoking prevalence and consumption trends in Southeast Asia.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Global Tobacco Epidemic Reports. Smoking prevalence and consumption trends in Southeast Asia.
Note: ChatGPT was used to develop this article
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