In a record high since Ukrainian independence, the share of illegal tobacco products has gone up by 5 per cent compared to the average annual indicator for 2021, reports the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

A study carried out by the Kantar Ukraine Institute in October, shows that the illegal tobacco market in Ukraine has reached 21.9 per cent – the highest it has been since Ukraine became independent in 1991. According to the study, the total volume of illegally sold cigarettes since the start of 2022 has reached 8.46 billion units leading to a tax shortage of UAH 20.65 billion (USD 554 million), reports Interfax-Ukraine.
In August 2022, the share of illegal cigarettes amounted to 8 per cent of the total market compared to August 2021 when that number lay at 5.6 per cent. The amount of cigarettes that were labelled and intended for export or Duty Free sales but were sold illegally in Ukraine amounted to 12.2 per cent of the country’s cigarette market, reports Interfax-Ukraine.
On the other hand, the amount of smuggled cigarettes has gone done with figures showing 1.8 per cent for August 2022 compared to 2.7 per cent in August 2021.