Tobacco smoking
[last update 2025/08]
Quit attempt¹
¹At least one serious quit attempt in the past 12 months in people who smoked in the past 12 months.
[last update 2025/08]
Tobacco smoking by age
[last update 2025/07]
E-cigarette use
[last update 2025/08]
E-cigarette use by age
[last update 2025/07]
E-cigarette and tobacco use¹
¹Current consumption of tobacco among people who currently use e-cigarettes.
[last update 2025/07]
Heated tobacco product use
[last update 2025/07]
Cannabis use¹
¹At least once a month.
[last update 2025/08]
About DEBRA
The German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA) is a regularly (5–6 times per year) conducted, representative, face-to-face survey on the use of tobacco, related nicotine products (such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products), and cannabis in the German population. The study is conducted by the Addiction Research and Clinical Epidemiology Unit at the Institute of General Practice, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health (2019–present) and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (2016–2019).
Current national statistics
The DEBRA study collects nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, related nicotine products, and cannabis in the German population. Some key indicators are graphically presented and regularly updated on this website.
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking
[last update 2025/08]
Quit attempt
Quit attempt¹
¹At least one serious quit attempt in the past 12 months in people who smoked in the past 12 months.
[last update 2025/08]
Tobacco smoking by age
Tobacco smoking by age
[last update 2025/07]
E-cigarette use
E-cigarette use
[last update 2025/08]
E-cigarette use by age
E-cigarette use by age
[last update 2025/07]
E-cigarette and tobacco (dual use)¹
¹Current consumption of tobacco among people who currently use e-cigarettes.
[last update 2025/07]
Heated tobacco product use
Heated tobacco product use
[last update 2025/07]
Cannabis use
Cannabis use¹
¹At least once a month.
[last update 2025/08]
"The DEBRA study monitors the use of tobacco, related nicotine products, and cannabis in the German population."
Univ.-Prof. Daniel Kotz about the DEBRA-Study
Background of DEBRA
The proportion of people in Germany who smoke tobacco is high. In addition, the availability and use of related nicotine products in the population is increasing. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends monitoring the use of tobacco and nicotine products at the national level in order to support the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and to reduce tobacco- and nicotine-related harm. The partial legalisation of cannabis since April 2024 poses new challenges for tobacco control as cannabis is often smoked with tobacco. The DEBRA study therefore collects data on the use of tobacco, related nicotine products, and cannabis, as well as associated behaviours and characteristics in Germany. In doing so, DEBRA provides important information for public health policymaking and future scientific studies.
Study design
- Representative samples (N = 1,500–2,000), 5–6 times per year
- Random sample and quota sample (40:60)
- Population aged 14 years and older living in Germany
- Computer-assisted personal interviews
Methodology of DEBRA
The DEBRA study started in June 2016 and consists of face-to-face interviews at home with individuals aged 14 years or older. Between 2016 to 2024, people aged 14 to 99 years were surveyed. Since 2025, the upper age limit has been 64 years. The corresponding figures for the period 2016 to 2024 (age group 14–99 years) can be found in our archive.
Five to six times per year, a new, representative sample completes the questionnaire (cross-sectional study). People who smoke daily or occasionally, or who have recently (in the past 12 months) quit smoking, are asked additional questions about their consumption behaviour, such as: degree of dependence, motivation to quit smoking, attempts to quit smoking, use of cessation aids, and opinions on tobacco control measures.
Further information and materials from the DEBRA study are available on the Open Science Framework.
Study registration
- German Clinical Trials Register:
DRKS00011322, DRKS00017157, DRKS00028054
- Study protocol DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4328-2
[last update 2025/08]
respondents since 2016
Milestones
2025
Change in study methodology (upper age limit: 64 years)
2024
100,000th interview in July 2024
2023
Modernization of the study website with dynamic graphics
2022
Start of third funding period in March for waves 36 to 51 (until January 2025)
2021
5 years data collection in April/May (N=60,998 in total)
2020
50,000th interview in August 2020
2019
Start of second funding period in June for waves 19 to 35 (until February/March 2022)
2019
Wave 18 of data collection in April/May (N=36,732 in total)
2018
First publication of DEBRA data in Deutsche Ärzteblatt
2017
First international symposium with DEBRA data in Duesseldorf on 30th June
2016
First wave of data collection in June/July (N=2,033)
About DEBRA
Funding
