This graph shows the total consumption of tobacco products per person aged 15 or over since 1920. It also charts the changing proportion of tobacco consumed as manufactured cigarettes rather than as loose tobacco used in pipes or roll-your-own cigarettes. The graph reveals the steady increase in tobacco consumption, to a high in the 1950s and early 1960s. This increase was driven partly by the growing popularity and availability of cigarettes. 

The decline in smoking per adult was very gradual until the mid-1980s when stronger anti-smoking measures and increases in prices led to a decline of over 40% between 1984 and 1992. The drop in smoking then stabilised until the early 2000s, when another burst of anti-smoking legislation had a strong impact. From 2000 to 2010 the decline in consumption per adult was over 36%. The decline in loose tobacco, predominantly used for roll-your-owns, was less than for manufactured cigarettes. This was probably a response to the price rises in manufactured cigarettes, driven by increased taxes.