How Much do Smokers Cost Australian Taxpayers?.
Australian Smokers Contribute $9.7 billion in tax collected from Tobacco sales.
Australian smokers cost the Taxpayer $16.7 billion, in health and productivity costs, with $8.8 billion directly to the medical aspects of the smoking diseases. Other figures show a total cost nearing $137 billion per year.
It has been estimated that $14 billion is currently being spent on cigarettes across Australia in one year.
This is based on 2.8 million smokers each spending an average of $100 per week on cigarettes.
In 2019, 69% of the cost went to the Tax man. That works about at about $9.7 billion, that smokers contribute to the Australian tax system.
Also in 2019, it has been reported that $6.8 billion has been spent in healthcare costs, including the cost of 1.7 million hospital admissions to treat smoking-related conditions. Another $7 billion is counted as a tangible cost as shown below:
- $5 billion in lost productivity and worker absences
- $2 billion for family members caring for someone with a smoking-related disease
After including both tangible and intangible costs, associated with smoking, that rises to a cost of $136.9 billion annually, up from an estimated $31.5 billion in 2004–05.
In 2009 a report showed that smokers contributed about $1 billion a year into tax funds but the estimated social costs of smoking was as high as $31 billion.
Taxation on cigarettes has increased, which has had two effects, one of which has been the reduction in the number of people smoking. (It is now too expensive for some), the other is the extra income to set off against the cost of smokers in the Australian Medical system.
The incidence of smoking HAS reduced:
Change in the daily smoking rate for those 18 or over.
22.3% smoked in 2001
21.3% smoked in 2004-05
19.1% smoked in 2007-08
16.3% smoked in 2011-12
14.7% smoked in 2014-15
13.8% smoked in 2017-18
Sources: