Ukraine will raise prices for cigarettes and vapes to European levels.

The government of Ukraine plans to increase excise taxes on tobacco products, which will lead to a significant rise in their cost. Currently, the excise tax amounts to 46-47 euros, whereas in neighboring countries it exceeds 90 euros, and in some European states it even goes beyond 300 euros.

Western experts emphasize the need to differentiate taxes on different types of tobacco products due to the lesser harm to health from electronic cigarettes compared to traditional ones. In Ukraine, the risk of the illegal tobacco market growing is about 20%.

The increase in excise tax will attract an additional 28 billion hryvnias to the budget by 2029. However, for this to happen, the work of the tax service, customs, and the Bureau of Economic Security must be streamlined.

A recent study showed a decrease in the level of illegal trade in tobacco products in Ukraine to 14.6% in July 2024.