Germany’s coalition government reportedly plans to raise the tobacco tax by more than originally planned, pushing the price of a pack of cigarettes to nearly €12 by 2030.
According to a report by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, which cites a draft document (Formulierungshilfe) from the Federal Finance Ministry, the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes would climb step by step to almost €12 by 2030 — about 40 cents more than previously planned. Taxes on fine-cut tobacco (for rolling cigarettes), pipe tobacco, cigars and cigarillos would also rise every year under the draft. The tax on e-cigarette liquids would increase by one cent per milliliter annually. The news agency dpa also reported a higher tax rate than planned, citing coalition sources.
The government points to a gap in the federal budget as the reason for the change. Officials also linked the increase to public health, saying it supports the goal of lowering smoking rates among young people and adults.
The higher rates are expected to bring in an estimated €756 million in extra tax revenue in 2027, rising to €3.589 billion in 2030 as the step-by-step increases take full effect.
What this means for you: If you smoke or vape in Germany, expect cigarettes, rolling tobacco, cigars and e-cigarette liquids to get more expensive gradually through 2030. This is still a draft plan from the finance ministry, not a passed law, so the exact amount and timeline of the expected rises is still unclear. But it’s worth budgeting for if you’re a regular buyer, as prices are about to rise to 12€ per package by 2030. This would mean an increase of about 20% over current prices of 10€ per package.
Sources: tagesschau.de
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