Tax-paid cigarette sales in Germany saw only a slight increase in 2025, while next-generation alternatives like e-cigarettes and vaping liquids recorded much stronger growth, according to Tobacco Journal. Cigarette sales rose by 100 million sticks, or 0.2%, reaching 66.4 billion legally purchased cigarettes. In contrast, sales of e-cigarette and vape liquids jumped 18.2% year-on-year, totaling 1.5 million litres.

Despite the small rise in cigarette sales last year, the long-term trend remains clearly downward. Average per-capita consumption has dropped from 1,831 cigarettes in 1991 to just 795 in 2025—less than half the level seen 35 years ago.

Within the traditional tobacco segment, other products saw declines: legal fine-cut tobacco fell 1.2%, and cigar and cigarillo sales dropped 6.6% to 2.1 billion units combined. Pipe tobacco was the only category to grow, up 2.9% to 323 tonnes.

Separate excise duty rates for e-liquids and shisha (waterpipe) tobacco were introduced in 2022, after previously being taxed like pipe tobacco at a lower rate. While e-liquids saw strong growth, shisha tobacco sales fell sharply to 1,162 tonnes in 2025, an 8.8% decline from 2024.