Cigar Sales Overview: A Century of Shifts
U.S. cigar sales have followed a century-long cycle of growth, decline, and renewal. After peaking at just over 8 billion units in the 1920s, sales fell steadily to about 5 billion by the late 1950s as cigarette use surged and consumer preferences shifted.
A brief recovery in the 1960s and early 1970s pushed volumes near 11 billion units, but the rebound was short-lived. Over the next two decades, cigar sales collapsed to roughly 3 billion units by the early 1990s, reflecting a weakened industry and declining consumer interest.
The Import Market as of Midyear 2025
As of midyear 2025, U.S. cigar imports show a market in transition. Total large cigar imports fell to an estimated 3.56 billion units, an 11.2% decline from the same period in 2024, reflecting softness in the mass-market and mid-tier price categories. The value segment (under $0.15) remains dominant but declined by 14%, while the midrange tier ($0.15–$0.23) dropped 12%. In contrast, higher-value imports strengthened—cigars priced $0.23–$0.76 rose 39%, and those above $0.76 increased 3%, signaling continued consumer movement toward premium products and higher-quality experiences.
The Cigar Market Trends and Highlights
This section provides data visualizations that illustrate long term market trends from 2010 through 2024, highlighting the evolution of cigar consumption in the United States. The charts show how the industry has transformed as total cigar volumes have fluctuated in response to economic cycles, changing consumer preferences, and ongoing regulatory pressures. While large cigars continue to represent the majority of total volume, the composition within this category has shifted significantly as premium cigars have steadily expanded their share with consumers showing greater interest in quality and craftsmanship over quantity.
Total large cigar volume per year refers to the estimated sales of large cigars (popular price and premium cigars).
Popular price large cigar volume per year refers to the estimated sales of large cigars that are machine-made and not 100% tobacco.
Annual estimated premium cigar sales includes domestically manufactured (in the U.S. including Puerto Rico) and imported cigars from the key supplier countries (Bahamas, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Philippines).
Little cigar volume per year refers to the estimated sales of little (or small) cigars (i.e., cigars classified as weighing less than 3 lbs. per 1,000).