One in ten deaths is caused by smoking and more than half the 6.4 million smoking-related mortalities occurred in just four countries, according to a study published in The Lancet.

Although the overall smoking rate declined in the decade to 2015, data collected from 195 countries show 25 per cent of males and 5.4 per cent of women still smoke. China, India, the USA and Russia accounted for 52.2 per cent of smoking related deaths.
“Smoking remains a leading risk factor for early death and disability. Although there have been some success stories, for many countries and territories, faster annualised rates of decline in smoking prevalence occurred between 1990 and 2005 than between 2005 and 2015,” study authors wrote.
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthriopies. It is considered the most comprehensive study of its kind.