British American Tobacco New Zealand - New Zealand's tobacco industry and economic contribution
We belong to one of the world’s most international businesses, and our economic contribution stretches from a local to a global level.
The New Zealand tobacco industry makes a significant contribution to the New Zealand economy in terms of government revenue, retail sales and employment.
Tobacco products make their largest financial contribution to the New Zealand economy through excise tax, with the tobacco industry in New Zealand paying over NZ$1.471 billion in excise taxes in 2025.
Tobacco is also an important source of revenue for about 4,000 New Zealand retailers, the vast majority of whom are small, independent retailers and dairies.
Market size
In 2025, 724 million tailor made cigarettes (TMC) and 207 tonnes of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco was sold to the trade by the three main tobacco companies in New Zealand.