{
  "id": 14902913,
  "title": "Germany set to hike tobacco tax: Cigarette packs could reach close to €12 by 2030",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/germany-set-to-hike-tobacco-tax-cigarette-packs-could-reach-close-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T07:44:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/16/germany-set-to-hike-tobacco-tax-cigarette-packs-could-reach-close-to-12-by-2030"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Germany is set to increase tobacco taxes, with cigarette packs potentially reaching close to €12 by 2030. Currently, an average pack of 20 cigarettes costs around €8.05, but this could change following the Bundestag's vote to gradually raise tobacco taxes. Prices are expected to rise to €8.77 in 2027, €9.56 in 2028, €10.42 in 2029, and €11.36 in 2030. Premium brand cigarettes may cost as much as €14, while hand-rolling tobacco will also see significant price increases. Germany's cigarette prices are aligning with those in other European countries, but they will still remain lower than in some of Europe's most expensive markets, such as Ireland, France, and the Netherlands. The government aims to raise an additional €12 billion over four years through the tax hike, with an additional €1.5 billion expected by 2030. Last year, the government generated €17.6 billion in revenue from tobacco duty. However, the tobacco industry doubts that the government will raise as much revenue as hoped, as higher taxes could drive smokers towards the black market or cheaper cigarettes from other EU countries. The CDU MP Carsten Brodesser called for more moderate tax increases, fearing potential adverse effects on the legal tobacco trade. The SPD MP Ingo Vogel acknowledged that the reform aims to balance the budget and make nicotine less attractive, supporting the public health objective. Vogel welcomed the fact that taxes on cigars and cigarillos would not rise as sharply as initially planned. E-cigarette liquid taxes were increased slightly more than expected, with an effort to prevent inexpensive products from becoming a gateway to nicotine consumption. The AfD, Die Linke, and Greens have criticized the hikes, with the AfD pointing to a contradiction in the government's approach and the Greens considering the planned increases to be too small. Die Linke voted against the reform. The 2025 microcensus shows that around 19% of people aged 15 and over in Germany smoke, with 14% regularly and 5% occasionally. According to the German Cancer Research Centre, around 131,000 people died from tobacco-related illnesses in 2023, and health experts regard higher prices as an effective means of encouraging people to quit smoking. The Bundesrat will vote on the amendment to the tobacco tax law on Friday, and the tax increase is expected to be approved with no objections anticipated.",
  "summary": "With the planned tax increase, the German government is aiming to raise an additional €12 billion over four years.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}