The number of people in the U.S. who smoke declined 3 percent nationwide this year, for a total decrease of 36 percent in the last 25 years, according to the United Health Foundation's 25th annual America's Health Rankings.
The decline brings the country's total regular smoking population down to 19 percent. Despite the downward trend, smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., according to the report.
The states are listed below by the percent of their population that smokes (those that report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke), starting with the state with the smallest smoking percentage.
- Utah — 10.3 percent of the population that smokes
- California — 12.5 percent
- Hawaii — 13.3 percent
- Connecticut — 15.5 percent
- New Jersey — 15.7 percent
- Texas — 15.9 percent
- Washington — 16.1 percent
- New Hampshire — 16.2 percent
- Arizona — 16.3 percent
- Maryland — 16.4 percent
- Massachusetts — 16.6 percent
- New York — 16.6 percent
- Vermont — 16.6 percent
- Florida — 16.8 percent
- Idaho — 17.2 percent
- Oregon — 17.3 percent
- Rhode Island — 17.4 percent
- Colorado — 17.7 percent
- Illinois — 18 percent
- Minnesota — 18 percent
- Nebraska — 18.5 percent
- Wisconsin — 18.7 percent
- Georgia — 18.8 percent
- Montana — 19 percent
- Virginia — 19 percent
- New Mexico — 19.1 percent
- Nevada — 19.4 percent
- Iowa — 19.5 percent
- Delaware — 19.6 percent
- South Dakota — 19.6 percent
- Kansas — 20 percent
- Maine — 20.2 percent
- North Carolina — 20.3 percent
- Wyoming — 20.6 percent
- Pennsylvania — 21 percent
- North Dakota — 21.2 percent
- Michigan — 21.4 percent
- Alabama — 21.5 percent
- Indiana — 21.9 percent
- South Carolina — 22 percent
- Missouri — 22.1 percent
- Alaska — 22.6 percent
- Ohio — 23.4 percent
- Louisiana — 23.5 percent
- Oklahoma — 23.7 percent
- Tennessee — 24.3 percent
- Mississippi — 24.8 percent
- Arkansas — 25.9 percent
- Kentucky — 26.5 percent
- West Virginia — 27.3 percent