Life style and (preventive) health; personal characteristics, 2014-2021

Table explanation

Description topics

Smoking behaviour, 12 years or older

Questions on smoking behaviour are asked to persons aged 12 years or older.

Smoking status

Smokers

The percentage of persons in the population aged 12 years or older who answered ‘Yes’ to the question: ‘Do you ever smoke?’
From 2014 to 2017, the introductory text for this question was: ‘Now some questions about smoking.’ From 2018 to 2019 this text was changed in: ‘Now some questions about smoking. We mean smoking of all kinds of tobacco products here, but not the use of an electronic cigarette.’ From 2020 this introduction text was replaced by ‘Now some questions about smoking. We mean smoking of all kinds of tobacco products here, but not the use of an electronic cigarette or a device in which tobacco is heated (heat stick, heat-not-burn), such as the IQOS’.

Former smokers

The percentage of persons in the population aged 12 years or older who answered No to the question: Do you ever smoke? and Yes to the question: Have you ever smoked?

Persons who never smoked

The percentage of persons in the population aged 12 years or older who answered No to the question Do you ever smoke? and No to the question Have you ever smoked?

Cigarette smokers

Smoking years current cigarette smokers

Number of years that a current cigarette smoker of 12 years or older already has smoked.

Former cigarette smokers

Smoking years former cigarette smokers

Number of years that a former cigarette smoker aged 12 years or older has smoked cigarettes.

Passive smoking in the population

Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke from nearby smokers while being indoors. The table shows the distribution of answers to the question: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’
(Almost) never
Less than 1 hour per day
1 hour per day or more
In 2019, the answer options of this question are changed. Therefore, passive smoking in the population will not be published anymore from 2019 onwards.

(Almost) never

Less than 1 hour per day

1 hour per day or more

Passive smoking among non-smokers

Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke from nearby smokers while being indoors. The table shows the distribution of answers to the question among people who do not smoke themselves: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’

Passive smoking 2015-2018, non-smokers

Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke from nearby smokers while being indoors. The table shows the distribution of answers to the question among people who do not smoke themselves: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’
(Almost) never
Less than 1 hour per day
1 hour per day or more
Because the answer options changed in 2019, these data will not published anymore.

(Almost) never

Less than 1 hour per day

1 hour per day or more

Passive smoking among non-smokers

Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke from nearby smokers while being indoors. The table shows the distribution of answers to the question among people who do not smoke themselves: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’ From 2019 onwards, the answer options were replaced by ‘Never or almost never’, ‘Less than once a week’, ‘Once a week but not every week’, ‘Daily, less than 1 hour a day’ and ‘Daily, one hour or more a day’. These data are not comparable to the data of 2015-2018.

(Almost) never

Percentage of people with answer category ‘never of almost never’ to the question: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’.

Not daily

Percentage of people with answer category ‘less than once a week’ or ‘Once a week but not every day’ to the question: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’.

Daily, less than one hour

Percentage of people with answer category ‘Daily, less than 1 hour a day’ to the question: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’.

Daily, one hour or more

Percentage of people with answer category ‘Daily, 1 hour or more a day’ to the question: ‘How often do you (or: does your child) get exposed indoor to tobacco smoke from other people?’.