Accredited official statistics

Historical Tobacco Duty rates

Updated 29 November 2024

1. Overview

This table provides historical rates of Tobacco Duty up to and including the current Tobacco Duty rates. For detailed information on current Tobacco Duty rates, go to Tobacco Products Duty rates.

Rates are provided for cigarettes, cigars, hand rolling tobacco (HRT), tobacco for heating (TfH), and other smoking tobacco and chewing tobacco. For further information on Tobacco Duty and exemptions, go to Excise Notice 476: Tobacco Products Duty.

2. Historical rates

From November 1993 to November 1999, there was a commitment to increase tobacco duties in real terms annually, initially by at least 3% on average and from July 1997 by at least 5% on average.

Date of change	Cigarettes ad valorem (%)	Specific £ per 1,000 sticks	Cigars £ per kg	HRT £ per kg	Other £ per kg
01 January 1978	30	9.00	20.94	20.28	16.09
13 August 1979	21	11.77	20.94	20.28	16.09
29 March 1980	21	13.42	25.60	22.60	17.40
14 March 1981	21	18.04	34.29	29.56	21.92
8 July 1981	21	19.03	35.91	30.96	22.96
12 March 1982	21	20.68	39.00	33.65	24.95
18 March 1983	21	21.67	40.85	35.40	24.95
16 March 1984	21	24.97	47.05	40.60	24.95
22 March 1985	21	26.95	47.05	43.73	24.95
21 March 1986	21	30.61	47.05	49.64	24.95
18 March 1988	21	31.74	48.79	51.48	24.95
23 March 1990	21	34.91	53.67	56.68	24.95
19 March 1991	21	40.15	61.72	65.12	28.69
10 March 1992	21	44.32	67.89	71.63	29.98
16 March 1993	20	48.75	72.30	76.29	31.93
30 November 1993	20	52.33	77.58	81.86	34.26
29 November 1994	20	55.58	82.56	85.94	36.30
01 January 1995	20	57.64	85.61	85.94	38.64
28 November 1995	20	62.52	91.52	85.94	40.24
26 November 1996	21	65.97	98.02	87.74	43.10
01 December 1997	21	72.06	105.86	87.74	46.55
01 December 1998	22	77.09	114.79	87.74	50.47
09 March 1999	22	82.59	122.06	87.74	53.66
21 March 2000	22	90.43	132.33	95.12	58.17
07 March 2001	22	92.25	134.69	96.81	59.21
17 April 2002	22	94.24	137.26	98.66	60.34
09 April 2003	22	96.88	141.10	101.42	62.03
17 March 2004	22	99.80	145.35	104.47	63.90
16 March 2005	22	102.39	149.12	107.18	65.56
22 March 2006	22	105.10	153.07	110.02	67.30
21 March 2007	22	108.65	158.24	113.74	69.57
12 March 2008	22	112.07	163.22	117.32	71.76
24 November 2008	24	112.07	169.74	122.01	74.63
22 April 2009	24	114.31	173.13	124.45	76.12
24 March 2010	24	119.03	180.28	129.59	79.26
23 March 2011	16.5	154.95	193.29	151.90	84.98
21 March 2012	16.5	167.41	208.83	164.11	91.81
20 March 2013	16.5	176.22	219.82	172.74	96.64
19 March 2014	16.5	184.10	229.65	180.46	100.96
18 March 2015	16.5	189.49	236.37	185.74	103.91
16 March 2016	16.5	196.42	245.01	198.10	107.71
08 March 2017	16.5	207.99	259.44	209.77	114.06

From 20 May 2017, the excise duty on cigarettes is an amount equal to the higher of the following alternatives:

• either the specific £ per 1,000 sticks plus 16.5% of retail price

• or the minimum excise tax £ per 1,000 sticks

Date of change	Cigarettes ad valorem (%)	Minimum excise tax £ per 1,000 sticks	Specific £ per 1,000 sticks	Cigars £ per kg	HRT £ per kg	TfH £ per kg	Other £ per kg
20 May 2017	16.5	268.63	207.99	259.44	209.77	N/A	114.06
22 November 2017	16.5	280.15	217.23	270.96	221.18	N/A	119.13
29 October 2018	16.5	293.95	228.29	284.76	234.65	234.65	125.20
11 March 2020	16.5	305.23	237.34	296.04	253.33	243.95	130.16
16 November 2020	16.5	320.90	244.78	305.32	271.40	251.60	134.24
27 October 2021	16.5	347.86	262.90	327.92	302.34	270.22	144.17
15 March 2023	16.5	393.45	294.72	367.61	351.03	302.93	161.62
22 November 2023	16.5	422.80	316.70	395.03	412.32	325.53	173.68
30 October 2024	16.5	446.67	334.58	417.33	476.83	343.91	183.49