The share of illegal products among electronic cigarettes in Ukraine is 93.6%. At the same time, the highest level of illegality was recorded among disposable devices and cigarettes with reusable cartridges — 100%, according to the results of the electronic cigarette market study conducted by Kantar Ukraine.
According to published data, in the segment of electronic cigarettes with replaceable reusable cartridges, legal products account for only 1.8% of the market, illegal products – 97%, the remaining 1.3% could not be established. In the segment of electronic cigarettes with a built-in filling tank, the ratio is 8.3%, 81.6% and 10%, respectively.
For e-cigarettes with replaceable disposable pre-filled cartridges, legal products account for 11.1% of the market, illegal products for 88.9%, while the disposable e-cigarette segment operates almost entirely in the shadows at 99.1%, and the remaining 0.9% could not be established.
“Illegal products are defined by many features. So if one of the indicators does not meet the requirements and current legislation, such products are considered illegal. In the case of electronic cigarettes, we see a record high level of illegality – more than 90% of the market, – noted Kantar Ukraine analyst Tetyana Sverdlyk.
Experts add that illegal electronic cigarettes in Ukraine often taste different from tobacco (61%). More than a quarter of the products do not meet the requirements for cartridge volume, number of puffs or liquid type, and at least one in five products do not contain nicotine level information on the package, bottle or cartridge. It was possible to confirm the presence of excise stamps on only half of the products.
The structure of the electronic cigarette market according to Kantar Ukraine is as follows: disposable electronic cigarettes — 28%, electronic cigarettes with replaceable disposable cartridges — 15%, vapes with a built-in refill tank — 18%, electronic cigarettes with replaceable reusable cartridges — 39%.
The study found that around a quarter of the audience buys e-cigarettes online, while 75.4% of shoppers prefer offline stores and 23.6% shop online.
In the segment of devices and cartridges, two thirds of the market are controlled by the three leading Chinese manufacturers representing the brands Smoore (Vaporesso), VapeOnly (Elf Bar) and Woody Vapes (Voopoo). The liquid market has a different structure — it is dominated by the big player Chaser Lab, and numerous local manufacturers are also active, including Octolab, Liquid Lab and Flavorlab.
The study of the electronic cigarette market in Ukraine was conducted by Kantar Ukraine in July-August 2025 at the request of the largest manufacturers of tobacco products in Ukraine. It was attended by 400 adult users of electronic cigarettes (disposable and reusable), who use them at least once a week and live in Ukraine.
