Number* of adults† who were current, former, or never smokers§, overall and by sex, race, Hispanic origin, age, and education

National Health Interview Surveys—United States, 1965–2006

	1965	1970	1974	1978	1980	1983	1985	1987	1990	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2002	2003	2004	2006
Smoking Status
Total Population
Current	50.1	48.1	48.9	51.3	51.6	53.5	50.4	48.9	45.8	46.4	47.0	48.0	46.5	46.2	45.8	45.4	44.5
Former	16.0	23.8	25.8	31.3	33.0	36.2	40.5	38.8	44.1	45.6	44.3	44.3	45.7	44.8	46.0	45.9	45.6
Never	52.0	26.8	57.3	67.7	70.8	76.8	76.6	82.2	89.6	93.7	98.8	101.6	105.8	111.3	111.8	119.2	122.8
Sex
Male
Current	28.9	26.4	25.8	26.9	27.5	27.6	25.7	25.1	24.2	24.5	24.5	25.7	24.3	24.4	24.6	24.3	23.9
Former	11.0	15.8	16.6	20.0	20.6	22.2	24.4	23.2	25.8	26.5	25.0	25.1	25.8	25.5	25.8	25.5	25.4
Never	15.8	17.8	17.5	23.8	25.2	28.8	28.8	32.1	35.1	37.6	41.3	42.2	44.5	46.9	47.2	51.2	52.8
Female
Current	21.1	21.6	23.1	24.4	24.1	25.9	24.7	23.8	21.6	21.9	22.4	22.3	22.2	21.8	21.2	21.1	20.5
Former	5.0	8.0	9.1	11.3	12.4	14.0	16.1	15.6	18.4	19.2	19.3	19.2	19.9	19.2	20.2	20.5	20.3
Never	36.2	39.0	39.8	43.9	45.6	48.0	47.8	50.1	54.4	56.2	57.5	59.4	61.3	64.3	64.6	68.0	69.9
Race
White
Current	44.6	42.6	42.7	41.5	42.1	43.4	40.5	38.9	36.1	36.0	36.3	36.4	35.7	35.5	34.9	34.3	33.7
Former	15.0	22.3	24.1	27.1	29.0	31.4	35.3	33.3	37.5	38.4	36.9	37.0	37.9	37.0	37.6	37.8	37.5
Never	46.4	50.1	50.5	53.4	56.5	59.6	59.7	61.9	66.1	67.2	68.7	71.2	73.5	75.2	75.6	79.2	80.7
Black
Current	5.0	5.1	5.8	5.9	5.7	6.1	6.1	5.9	5.0	5.3	5.3	5.7	5.3	5.0	5.1	5.0	4.7
Former	0.9	1.3	1.4	2.1	2.2	2.4	2.8	2.7	3.2	3.2	3.0	2.9	3.4	3.2	3.5	3.3	3.0
Never	5.0	5.9	6.0	7.7	7.5	8.5	8.5	9.4	11.0	11.9	12.3	12.6	13.2	14.2	14.1	14.8	15.6
Hispanic
Current	NA	NA	NA	2.5	2.6	2.6	2.5	2.9	3.2	2.9	3.2	3.9	3.7	3.6	3.7	4.3	4.0
Former	NA	NA	NA	1.2	1.3	1.6	1.7	2.0	2.4	2.3	2.9	2.8	3.0	3.1	3.4	3.4	3.5
Never	NA	NA	NA	4.2	4.8	6.0	5.6	7.4	8.4	9.0	11.5	12.4	13.6	15.0	15.4	18.5	19.1
Asian/Pacific Islander
Current	NA	NA	NA	0.5	0.4	0.8	0.6	0.5	0.7	1.0	1.1	1.0	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.8	0.9
Former	NA	NA	NA	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.6	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.7	0.8	1.0	0.9
Never	NA	NA	NA	1.3	1.1	1.6	1.9	2.6	2.8	3.8	4.4	4.2	4.2	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.8
American Indian/Alaska Native
Current	NA	NA	NA	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4
Former	NA	NA	NA	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.2
Never	NA	NA	NA	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.5
Age (years)
18-24
Current	8.0	8.3	8.8	9.4	9.2	9.8	7.8	6.9	6.1	6.2	6.2	7.1	7.2	7.2	7.7	6.6	6.6
Former	1.2	2.0	2.2	2.5	2.9	2.6	2.7	2	2.4	1.7	2.1	1.8	2.0	2.1	2.0	2.0	2.0
Never	8.4	11.6	12.3	15.4	15.6	16.1	16.2	16.5	16.3	16.0	16.5	15.9	16.6	17.5	17.4	19.1	19.4
25-44
Current	23.1	20.8	21.5	22.4	22.9	24.7	24.6	24.5	23.5	23.7	23.7	23.7	22.4	20.9	20.5	20.9	19.3
Former	6.1	8.8	8.9	11.1	12.0	12.9	15.1	14.5	15.8	15.1	14.5	13.2	12.6	11.7	12.0	11.6	10.9
Never	15.9	17.1	17.9	23.5	25.8	30.4	30.9	34.9	39.9	42.3	44.5	45.9	47.0	48.2	47.4	49.2	51.0
45-64
Current	15.9	15.9	15.2	15.8	15.3	14.7	13.8	13.3	12.4	12.9	13.1	13.3	13.6	14.8	14.5	14.8	15.5
Former	6.1	8.9	10.0	11.3	11.5	12.7	13.6	12.9	15.2	16.9	15.9	17.0	18.0	18.2	18.8	18.8	19.4
Never	16.1	16.3	15.1	16.1	16.3	16.7	16.3	17	18.5	19.9	22.4	24.2	26.6	29.1	30.6	33.7	34.6
>=65
Current	3.1	3.0	3.5	3.7	4.1	4.3	4.2	4.2	3.8	3.7	4.1	3.8	3.4	3.3	3.0	3.1	3.0
Former	2.6	4.0	4.7	6.4	6.7	7.9	9.0	9.4	10.8	11.9	11.8	12.3	13.1	12.8	13.2	13.5	13.4
Never	11.6	11.8	12.0	12.7	13.1	13.6	13.2	14.9	14.9	15.5	15.4	15.7	15.7	16.5	16.4	17.2	17.7
Education¶
<8
Current	NA	9.2	8.2	6.3	6.2	5.7	4.6	4.5	3.7	2.8	3.3	2.9	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.144	1.9
Former	NA	5.2	5.0	4.9	5.0	4.8	4.8	4.3	4.2	3.7	3.7	3.2	3.2	2.9	2.8	2.76	2.7
Never	NA	13.8	11.9	10.7	10.5	9.5	7.9	8.0	7.7	7.0	7.6	6.8	6.7	6.6	6.5	7.28	6.7
9-11
Current	NA	8.5	8.1	7.9	7.4	7.5	7.4	7.0	6.3	6.4	6.0	6.6	6.1	6.0	5.5	5.649	5.8
Former	NA	3.6	3.6	3.4	3.4	4.1	4.4	4.1	4.4	4.7	4.1	4.9	4.2	4.5	4.1	3.922	4.0
Never	NA	7.0	6.5	6.6	6.1	6.6	6.0	6.0	6.3	6.3	6.0	7.8	7.2	7.5	6.9	7.547	8.4
12
Current	NA	13.7	14.3	16.4	16.4	17.8	17.7	18.2	17.6	17.6	17.6	15.1	14.3	14.3	14.3	14.53	13.5
Former	NA	6.8	7.7	10.2	10.6	12.0	13.3	13.6	15.3	16.2	14.8	12.6	13.0	12.3	13.1	13.07	12.8
Never	NA	14.2	14.9	17.8	19.4	21.1	22.0	23.5	25.5	26.7	27.4	23.0	24.2	24.7	24.6	26.04	27.3
13-15
Current	NA	4.4	5.1	6.2	6.8	7.2	7.5	7.4	7.3	8.4	8.0	11.3	11.4	11.1	10.1	10.93	11.0
Former	NA	2.5	3.3	4.9	5.0	5.6	6.8	6.8	8.2	9.5	9.2	11.7	12.0	12.1	12.5	12.77	12.6
Never	NA	4.4	5.1	7.0	8.3	9.6	10.3	11.9	14.2	15.7	16.7	22.0	23.2	24.3	24.5	26.25	25.9
>=16
Current	NA	3.4	4.0	4.6	5.3	5.3	5.2	4.8	4.7	4.9	5.6	4.7	5.0	5.1	4.9	5.087	5.2
Former	NA	3.3	3.9	5.1	6.0	6.8	8.3	7.9	9.7	9.8	10.4	9.9	10.9	10.5	11.2	11.16	11.2
Never	NA	5.1	6.0	9.5	10.4	13.6	13.9	16.2	19.4	21.7	24.3	25.6	27.3	29.7	30.8	31.85	33.9
Socioeconomic status
At/Above Poverty Level
Current	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	42.7	38.8	39.9	36.9	36.9	37.7	34.2	32.3	31.8	30.8	29.95	29.6
Former	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	30.8	33.3	34.2	39.0	40.5	39.1	33.4	32.9	31.6	32.7	31.37	32.5
Never	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	62.1	58.6	67.8	74.6	77.2	81.5	71.8	72.6	74.5	74.9	76.99	81.8
Below Poverty Level
Current	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	5.1	5.9	6.0	5.5	6.1	6.4	6.6	5.4	5.2	5.5	5.508	5.1
Former	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	1.5	2.7	2.3	2.3	2.7	2.9	3.1	2.2	2.2	2.5	2.273	2.6
Never	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	6.1	8.6	8.8	8.1	10.3	10.4	10.2	8.7	9.1	8.7	10.27	9.8
Unknown
Current	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	5.7	5.6	3.0	3.4	3.4	2.8	7.1	8.9	9.2	9.6	9.937	9.8
Former	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	3.8	4.5	2.3	2.8	2.5	2.3	7.8	10.5	10.9	10.8	12.29	10.6
Never	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	8.7	9.4	5.6	6.9	6.3	6.9	19.7	24.6	27.6	28.2	31.9	31.2

Footnotes

* in millions.

† persons > = 18 years of age

§ Current smokers reported smoking >= 100 cigarettes and currently smoked. Former smokers reported smoking >= 100 cigarettes and did not currently smoke. Never smokers reported that they had smoked < 100 cigarettes.

¶ Data on education are presented for persons >= 25 years of age.

Source: National Health inerview Surveys: 1965, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001–2006.

Note: For any year, 95% confidence intervals do not exceed ±3.4 million for the total population, ±2.2 million for men, ±2.0 million for women, ±17.4 million for whites, ±2.4 million for blacks, ±2.0 million for Hispanics, ±1.0 million for Asian/Pacific Islanders, ±0.3 million for American Indian/Alaska Natives, ±1.4 million for persons ages 18–24 years, ±2.0 million for persons ages 25–44 years, ±1.4 million for persons ages 45-64 years, ±2.5 million for persons ages >= 65 years, ±1.9 million for < 8 years of education, ±5.8 million for 9–11 years of education, ±2.6 million for 12 years of education, ±4.0 million for 13-15 years of education, ±1.4 million for >= 16 years of educations, ±8.3 million for persons at or above the poverty level, ±1.1 million for persons below the poverty level, and ±1.5 million for persons with unknown poverty level.