Table 1

Prevalence (%) of tobacco smoking, chewing and dual use (smoking and chewing) by wealth, education and caste/tribe status among men and women in the National Family Health Surveys (NFHSs) 1998–1999 and 2005–2006

MenWomen
Sample populationSmokeChewDualSmokeChewDual
1998–19992005–20061998–19992005–2006Percentage of Δ1998–19992005–2006Percentage of Δ1998–19992005–20061998–19992005–2006Percentage of Δ1998–19992005–2006Percentage of Δ1998–19992005–2006
Caste/tribe status*
General(M) 50 939(M) 21 85022.2 (21.4, 22.9)28.8 (27.7, 29.9)3022.2 (21.4, 23.02)33.2 (31.8, 34.5)507.4 (6.9, 7.8)10.8 (10.0, 11.5)1.0 (0.9, 1.1)0.8 (0.55, 1.0)−206.6 (6.1, 7.1)7.24 (6.6, 7.85)100.24 (0.17, 0.3)0.2 (0.11, 0.27)
(F) 50 526(F) 41 844
SC(M) 21 491(M) 11 95331.5  (30.5, 32.5)39.3 (37.8, 40.9)2527.8 (26.6, 29.1)40.5 (38.8, 42.1)4612.1 (11.4, 12.8)15.8 (14.7, 16.9)2.3 (1.9, 2.8)2.4 (2.05, 2.8)410.9 (10.1, 11.8)12.1 (11.2, 12.9)110.5 (0.4, 0.7)0.4 (0.3, 0.6)
(F) 21 045(F) 20 566
ST(M) 16 187(M) 845330.6 (28.8, 32.3)36.6 (34.1, 39.1)2038.6  (36.9, 40.4)52.6 (49.9, 55.3)3614.5 (13.3, 15.6)18.6 (16.7, 20.4)3.0 (2.5, 3.6)2.7 (2.04, 3.4)−1018.5 (17.0, 20.1)25.08 (22.8, 27.4)361.0 (0.7, 1.2)0.9 (0.6, 1.3)
(F) 16 520(F) 16 518
OBC(M) 36 381(M) 25 14424.7 (23.9, 25.5)31.2 (30.2, 32.2)2625.4 (24.5, 26.3)36.2 (35.0, 37.5)439.9 (9.4, 10.5)13.1 (12.3, 13.8)1.5 (1.3, 1.7)1.4 (1.2, 1.7)−77.3 (6.8, 7.7)7.08 (6.6, 7.6)−30.3 (0.26, 0.4)0.14 (0.09, 0.21)
(F) 36 290(F) 29 561
No caste(M) 6466(M) 235531.8 (29.4, 34.3)37.9 (34.2, 41.6)1923.3 (20.9, 25.6)35.5 (31.6, 39.3)5210.7 (9.3, 12.1)13.0 (10.9, 15.2)1.4 (0.8, 1.9)0.9 (0.36, 1.48)−3610.3 (9.1, 11.6)12.8 (10.8, 14.8)240.4 (0.2, 0.6)0.31 (0.03, 0.59)
(F) 6505(F) 5653
Education level
Postgraduate(M) 3432(M) 29207.6 (6.5, 8.7)15.05 (13.01, 17.1)9812.4 (10.8, 14.1)18.5 (16.0, 21.1)491.7 (1.2, 2.2)4.04 (3.0, 5.1)0.2 (−0.2, 0.6)0.02 (−0.007, 0.05)−901.2 (0.45, 1.9)0.33 (0.14, 0.5)−730.2 (−0.17, 0.5)0.004 (−0.002, 0.012)
(F) 1963(F) 3526
College(M) 11 340(M) 781111.1 (10.2, 11.9)20.7 (19.2, 22.1)8614.9 (13.9, 15.8)23.9 (22.3, 25.6)603.5 (3.1, 3.9)6.7 (5.8, 7.6)0.1 (−0.01, 0.2)0.11 (0.03, 0.19)101.3 (0.9, 1.6)1.8 (1.4, 2.2)390.05 (−0.04, 0.14)0.04 (−0.017, 0.1)
(F) 6586(F) 9424
High school(M) 69 996(M) 26 10021.2 (20.7, 21.8)24.7 (23.8, 25.5)1723.3 (22.7, 23.9)33.1 (32.0, 34.1)427.8 (7.5, 8.2)9.9 (9.3, 10.6)0.2 (0.17, 0.3)0.07 (0.04, 0.1)−654.2 (3.9, 4.6)3.4 (3.04, 3.7)−190.1 (0.06, 0.13)0.04 (0.02, 0.06)
(F) 46 629(F) 34 338
Primary school(M) 21 730(M) 12 62232.7 (31.7, 33.6)35.6 (34.3, 36.9)130.2 (29.2, 31.2)41.9 (40.5, 43.4)3912.1 (11.4, 12.7)14.8 (13.8, 15.7)0.7 (0.5, 0.8)0.2 (0.13, 0.3)−719.0 (8.4, 9.6)7.4 (6.8, 8.02)−180.18 (0.13, 0.24)0.07 (0.03, 0.11)
(F) 20 604(F) 19 451
Illiterate(M) 24 966(M) 20 30238.9 (37.9, 39.9)43.9 (42.8, 45.2)1334.4 (33.2, 35.5)47.1 (45.7, 48.5)3715.9 (15.1, 16.6)18.9 (17.9, 19.9)2.6 (2.4, 2.9)2.3 (2.02, 2.6)−1211.9 (11.4, 12.6)13.3 (12.6, 13.0)120.6 (0.53, 0.72)0.42 (0.33, 0.51)
(F) 55 104(F) 57 403
Wealth quintiles
Richest(M) 26 291(M) 13 70611.9 (11.2, 12.5)19.9 (18.8, 21.1)6313.7  (12.8, 14.6)20.4 (19.0, 21.8)493.3 (2.97, 3.6)5.8 (5.1, 6.4)0.2 (0.1, 0.3) 0.14 (0.08, 0.2)−302.2 (1.9, 2.5)2.02 (1.7, 2.3)−80.05 (0.01, 0.07)0.042 (0.009, 0.07)
(F) 26 177(F) 24 837
Richer(M) 26 293(M) 13 94619.3 (18.5, 20.04)25.8 (24.6, 27.1)3719.0 (18.1, 19.9)30.2 (28.7, 31.7)595.6 (5.2, 6.02)9.3 (8.4, 10.2)0.46 (0.37, 0.54)0.37 (0.27, 0.47)−205.4 (4.9, 5.9)4.9 (4.4, 5.4)−90.1 (0.07, 0.18)0.06 (0.02, 0.09)
(F) 26 177(F) 24 837
Middle(M) 26 294(M) 14 07525.6 (24.7, 26.4)31.4 (30.1, 32.7)2522.9 (22.0, 23.9)34.9 (33.4, 36.3)527.6 (7.2, 8.1)11.5 (10.6, 12.3)1.1 (0.9, 1.3)0.7 (0.6, 0.9)−367.8 (7.2, 8.3)6.9 (6.4, 7.4)−110.23 (0.16, 0.3)0.07 (0.04, 0.11)
(F) 26 174(F) 24 826
Poorer(M) 26 293(M) 14 00730.6 (29.7, 31.5)36.5 (35.2, 37.8)2128.9 (28.0, 29.9)39.5 (38.03, 40.9)3711.6 (10.9, 12.2)14.5 (13.6, 15.5)1.7 (1.5, 1.9)1.7 (1.4, 1.9)010.9, (10.3, 11.6)10.5 (9.8, 12.2)−40.4 (0.3, 0.5)0.24 (0.17, 0.31)
(F) 26 179(F) 24 814
Poorest(M) 26 293(M) 14 02135.5 (34.4, 36.5)40.6 (39.3, 41.9)1336.8 (35.7, 37.9)49.7 (48.2, 51.2)3516.7 (15.9, 17.5)19.4 (18.4, 20.5)3.5 (3.1, 3.9)3.2 (2.8, 3.7)−914.1 (13.3, 15.0)17.1 (16.03, 18.1)210.9 (0.7, 1.0)0.7 (0.52, 0.86)
(F) 26 179(F) 24 828
Total(M)131 464(M) 69 755
(F) 130 886(F) 124 142
  • *Scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) are identified by the Government of India as socially and economically backward and needing protection from social injustice and exploitation. Other backward class is a diverse collection of intermediate castes that were considered low in the traditional caste hierarchy but are clearly above SC. General is thus a default residual group that enjoys higher status in the caste hierarchy.

  • †Postgraduate: 15 or more years of education; college: 13–15 years of education; high school: 8–12 years of education; secondary: 5–8 years of education; primary: 0–5 years of education; illiterate: 0 years of education.

  • ‡Percentage change (% Δ) numbers have been rounded to the nearest integer.

  • All results for prevalence are survey adjusted and age standardised. Prevalence results are all in percentages.