Nearly one in ten cigarettes consumed in the European Union is of illicit origin. Over 38.9 billion cigarettes from illicit trade were consumed in the 27 EU member states in 2024. France remains the largest illicit market in Europe, with 18.7 billion cigarettes consumed illegally in 2024, accounting for 37.6% of total consumption. In the Netherlands, the volume of illicit cigarettes increased drastically by over 1.1 billion, more than double the previous year, reaching 17.9% of total