The tobacco industry comprises companies engaged in the growth, preparation, sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. The global tobacco market size was estimated at $849.9 billion in 2021 and $ 867.6 billion in 2022.

The Tobacco industry has been important to the American economy for much of the country's history. The United States government has regulated the growth and sale of tobacco and tobacco products in some fashion usually via taxes, from its founding.

The world’s largest global tobacco industry companies are Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Imperial Brands. The China National Tobacco Corporation is the world’s largest producer of cigarettes, but is a state-owned entity and mostly serves its own domestic market. Together, these companies sell trillions of cigarettes around the world every year. Tobacco industry companies spend billions of dollars each year to market their products. Marketing spend is about $7.13 billion.

The tobacco industry is most recognized for selling cigarettes. Even though tobacco use is declining in many parts of the world, tobacco companies sold approximately 5.2 trillion cigarettes in 2020. Some major tobacco companies claim they want to move away from cigarettes.

Tobacco Firms Aware of Dangers of Cigarette Smoke But Hid Evidence

A study by UCLA researchers claims that tobacco companies had known for decades that cigarette smoke was bad for the health, but continues to hide that information from the public