Number Of Australians Smoking Hits All-Time Low

According to a new report, Australian tobacco use is on a steep decline.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has recently looked into smoking patterns, finding less than 13 per cent of Australians are daily smokers.

"Regular smoking rates have continued to come down under the past three years, so we've found that ... the daily smoking rate is down to an all-time low of [under] 13 per cent," said Tim Beard, a spokesperson from AIHW.

"That's one of the lowest smoking rates in the world."

There are a host of reasons as to why smoking rates have continued to drop dramatically over the past two decades.

One of the reasons is plain packaging. Introduced in 2012, it helped reduce the appeal of tobacco products, all while boosting awareness of smoking related health risks.

Other reasons include the increasing cost of cigarettes and the availability of electronic cigarettes.

There also appears to be a cultural shift in the way people view smoking.

The report shows that fewer high school students are experimenting with cigarettes.

"We've also found that in general terms ... when you look at school students and young adults taking up smoking, they're not only taking [it] up at a much lower rate, but they're also taking it up later," Mr Beard said.

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