In this article, we will discuss the 16 Most Valuable Cigarette Brands in the World. To skip our industry overview and see the top 5 most valuable cigarette brands in the world, click 5 Most Valuable Cigarette Brands in the World.
The global cigarette industry is a multi-billion dollar market that produces and sells tobacco products, mainly cigarettes. With over 1.1 billion smokers in the world and 200 million more who use other tobacco products, cigarette consumption retains its global presence. The world’s largest transnational tobacco companies are known as the Big 4, which include Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI), Japan Tobacco Inc. (TYO:2914), and Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB). The China National Tobacco Corporation is the world’s largest producer of cigarettes, but it is a state-owned entity that mostly serves its own domestic market. Together, these companies sell trillions of cigarettes around the world every year.
Even though tobacco use is declining in many parts of the world, tobacco companies still sold approximately 5.2 trillion cigarettes in 2020. Additionally, the rising popularity of partying and pub culture among millennials and working-class people has especially fueled the demand for flavored and unflavored cigarettes around the world in recent years.
Furthermore, emerging economies such as India and Thailand are seeing a significant increase in cigarette demand as a result of rising youth populations in these countries. Overall, the highest smoking rates are found in Southeast Asia and the Balkan region of Europe. Western European countries and the Americas tend to have lower smoking rates, However, this is not always guaranteed, as Chile turns out to have one of the highest smoking rates in the world. In 2019, there were an estimated 155 million smokers aged between 15 and 24 years – equivalent to 20.1% of young men and 5.0% of young women, globally.
According to a report by GrandViewResearch, the global tobacco market size was valued at $849.9 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.4% from 2022 to 2030. The demand has been sustained by the growing number of smokers in the developing regions of Asia and Africa alongside extensive marketing campaigns run by major companies. According to data provided by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, an estimated $8.9 billion was spent by large companies on marketing smokeless tobacco and cigarettes in the U.S. This amount breaks down to about $22.5 million per day or almost $1 million per hour.
To determine the 16 most valuable cigarette brands in the world, we sifted through the cigarette brand rankings of a variety of credible media outlets such as Forbes, Insider, New York Magazine, and more. We then chose the consensus picks of these media outlets. Following these checks, we made use of Google Trends to identify the top cigarette brands among them that attracted attention from individuals worldwide over the past 90 days, and ranked them in ascending order according to the highest number of regions searching for them and their highest interest-over-time, with a value of 100 being peak popularity.
Note: Smoking is extremely harmful for health and remains one of the leading causes of death according to FDA. The purpose of this article is to give our readers an overview of the cigarette industry and some of the major players and brands operating in it.
Most Valuable Cigarette Brands in the World
16. Kent
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 13
Kent is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States and British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) elsewhere. Widely recognized by many as the first popular filtered cigarette, Kent was introduced by the Lorillard Tobacco Company in 1952. The brand is named after Herbert Kent, a former executive at the company.
15. Newport
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 26
Newport is an American brand of menthol cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The brand was originally named for the seaport of Newport, Rhode Island. One of the best-known brands of menthol cigarettes, the brand maintained its top spot in terms of market share from 2014-2019, with a 6% growth among menthol styles. As of 2022, Newport has a brand value of $2.78 billion.
14. CAMEL
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 29
CAMEL is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States and by Japan Tobacco Inc. (TYO:2914) outside the United States. Most current CAMEL cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. According to data provided by the CDC, the brand held a market share of 8% back in 2017, coming in third after Newport and Marlboro.
13. Natural American Spirit
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 30
Natural American Spirit is an American brand of cigarettes and other tobacco products that is currently owned by Reynolds American and manufactured by the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company. Natural American Spirit offers various types of select filter cigarettes which are color-coded to denote the nicotine and tar contents, which are altered by using different filters and cigarette paper. While the company came under fire for its claim to produce 100% additive-free tobacco, Natural American Spirit continues to be popular among cigarette smokers to this day.
12. Benson & Hedges
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 39
Introduced in 1873 by Richard Benson and William Hedges, Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by American tobacco and cigarette conglomerate Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO). Predominantly made using Virginia tobacco, cigarettes under the Benson & Hedges name are manufactured worldwide by different companies, including Philip Morris USA and British American Tobacco, among others depending on the region.
11. Chesterfield
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 41
Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) and produced by its subsidiary Philip Morris USA. PMI's third-largest brand with a volume of 52 billion cigarettes in 2o2o, Chesterfield is sold in over 70 markets. As of 2022, Chesterfield boasted a brand value of $3.38 billion.
10. Parliament
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 45
Parliament is an American brand of cigarettes that is currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the United States and Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) outside of the United States. Launched in 1931, the brand is distinctive for its recessed paper filters, although it was originally used as an advertising gimmick at a time when cigarettes did not have filters, since the first commercial cigarette filters came into use 4 years after the brands inception. In 2016, the volume of produced Parliament cigarettes was 46 billion. The brand is sold in more than 30 countries.
9. Sobranie
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 55
The Sobranie cigarette brand is one of the oldest tobacco brands that ever existed in the world. Currently owned and manufactured by Gallaher Group, a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco Inc. (TYO:2914), Sobranie of London was founded in 1879, when cigarettes had just become a new trend in Europe. The original cigarettes were handmade following the Russian tradition, and are still produced at Old Bond Street in London. Premium brands include the multi-colored Sobranie Cocktail and the black and gold Sobranie Black Russian, which are produced in Ukraine.
8. Lucky Strike
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 58
Lucky Strike, an American brand of cigarettes owned by British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI), ranks among the most popular American cigarette brands, and also among the oldest ones. Individual cigarettes of the brand are often referred to colloquially as "Luckies." Throughout its decade and a half long history, Lucky Strike has had fluctuating market relevance, with the brand peaking in the 1930s and 1940s.
7. Rothmans
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 58
Rothmans is a British brand that was formerly owned by Rothmans International plc until its acquisition by British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) in 1999. Rereleased by BAT in 2017 as part of the company's combustible tobacco category, an estimated 309,000 people used Rothmans Blue (value price) in 2020, while an additional 171,000 smoked Rothmans Blue (premium price).
6. Pall Mall
Interest-Over-Time: 100
Number Of Regions: 59
Pall Mall is a British brand of cigarettes produced by British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) that was introduced in 1899 by the UK-based Black Butler Company in an attempt to cater to the upper class with the first "premium" cigarette. It is named after Pall Mall, a well-known street in the St James's area of London, containing several of the private clubs which such people patronized. As of July 2022, Pall Mall is sold as a Canadian discount brand in Red (full-flavor) and Blue (light).
