The price of cigarette packs increases in France from March 1. Some packets of cigarettes will even exceed the 11 euro mark, as indicated by customs in a summary table. Since the arrival of Emmanuel Macron at the Elyse, the average annual price of the Marlboro package has gone from 7.05 euros in 2017 to 11.50 euros in 2023.
According to data from Public health France, in mainland France more than 3 people aged 18 to 75 out of 10 smoked in 2021 for a total of daily smokers of nearly 12 million people. Bad news for them on March 1, the tobacco price will increase. Some packets of cigarettes will even exceed the 11 euro mark, as indicated by customs in an updated document. For cigarettes as for rolling tobacco, increases range from 50 cents to one euro.
Here is the new price of the best-selling packages in France:
- News & Co Blue, in 20 units: 10.6 euros against 10 euros
- Fortuna Rouge, in 20 units: 10.6 euros against 10 euros
- Vogue the Essential blue, in 20 units: 11 euros against 10.5 euros
- JPS Classic Black in 20 units: 10.8 euros against 10.2 euros
- Lucky Strike Blue, in 20 units: 10.5 euros against 10 euros
- Lucky Strike Gold, in 20 units: 10.8 euros against 10.3 euros
- Red Winfield, in 20 units: 10.5 euros against 9.9 euros
- Fortuna Rouge 100s, in 20 units: 10 euros against 9.9 euros
- Gauloises Blondes Bleu, in 20 units: 10.6 euros against 10 euros
- Marlboro Gold: 11.5 euros against 10.5 euros
- Marlboro Red: 11.5 euros against 10.5 euros
The price of the Marlboro package multiplied by 3.5 in 22 years
To reduce tobacco consumption, the government has increased tobacco taxes regularly. A tax freeze then took place in 2021 and 2022 but Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne ended it last September. The price of the package […] will rise like inflation. Given the health impact of tobacco, I think it would be more understandable and therefore we have planned to index the price of a pack of cigarettes to inflation.
Since the arrival of Emmanuel Macron at the Elyse, the average annual price of a packet of Marlboro has risen from 7.05 euros in 2017 to 11.50 euros in 2023. In the space of 20 years, its price has been multiplied by 3 ,5. In France, some 24,500 retailers live from the monopoly of the sale of tobacco, which generates 60 to 80% of their income, according to the Confederation of tobacconists.