The cigarette smoking rate in South Korea fell this year, but the popularity of e-cigarettes increased, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Monday.

In its 2025 Community Health Survey, which focused on the health status of residents identified by 258 health centers nationwide, the KDCA found that 17-point-nine-percent of adults smoked cigarettes, down one percentage point from last year.

Use of e-cigarettes, however, rose zero-point-six percentage points to nine-point-three percent, while the usage rate of all tobacco products fell half a percentage point to 22-point-one percent.

Tobacco use was highest in North Chungcheong Province at 24-point-seven percent, followed by Gangwon Province and South Chungcheong Province, both at 23-point-eight percent.

Sejong City had the lowest use proportion at just 17-point-three percent. Seoul and North Jeolla Province also had low rates in the 19 percent range.

The KDCA said that to mitigate disease risks associated with tobacco, more targeted education and measures to prevent long-term e-cigarette use are necessary.

Alcohol consumption also dropped, with 57-point-one percent of adults saying they drink at least once a month, down one-point-two percentage points from the previous year.

The KDCA noted that, compared with the monthly drinking rate of 43-point-seven percent and the high-risk drinking rate of 10-point-nine percent recorded in 2020, the latest figures show people returning to drinking.

Gangwon Province had the highest high-risk drinking rate, encompassing 15-point-seven percent of its population, and Sejong City was the low end at seven percent.