According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014, nearly 17 of every 100 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older smoked cigarettes. This is an estimated 40 million adults. Men were more likely to be cigarette smokers than women. Nearly 19 of every 100 adult men smoked, and nearly 15 of every 100 adult women smoked, according to the CDC. Cigarette smoking was higher among persons living below the poverty level than those living at or above this level, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. More than 26 of every 100 adults who live below the poverty level smoke, and about 15 of every 100 adults who live at or above the poverty level smoke cigarettes, according to the CDC. Cigarette smoking was highest among persons with a graduate education degree certificate (GED) and lowest among those with a graduate degree, according to the CDC.
