The determinants of tobacco consumption: evidence from Spain

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to study the determinants of tobacco consumption in Spain. First, the relationship between tobacco consumption and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Spain is analyzed. The non-stationary and cointegration properties of these variables are studied. The findings suggest that tobacco mortality is not cointegrated with GDP. Afterwards, we model the probability of an individual being smoker in Spain as a function of a range of socio-economic characteristics, including individual’s gender, age, marital status, education, etc., using data from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP). The results show that men with lower educational background and unemployed are more likely to smoke.