Cigars and tobacco have been a global staple worldwide for many years.

Over a billion people smoke cigars around the world, and many notable figures throughout history have smoked cigars, including high-influence politicians such as Winston Churchill, and Hollywood star celebrities like Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

There are more than 33 million people employed in the tobacco industry, and it’s clear the cigar market is huge when comparing smoking rates per country.

The starting point for cigars began in the 1700s when the first-ever international trade of goods happened. Ships sailed from Spain through the New World of America, and the ships returned to Europe loaded with various goods, including Tobacco.

By the late early 1900s, more than 10,000 cigar companies were operating in the United States. Most of these companies were located in New York City and Tampa, Florida. At the time, they made more than 1 billion pounds of tobacco products each year.

The premium cigar industry has grown into a global enterprise with many brands and flavors providing unique offerings for cigar lovers worldwide.

Tobacco is grown across the world in over 30 countries. Every year, 6.7 million tons of tobacco are produced worldwide. Here are some of the top countries that grow the most tobacco and, the genius behind some of the incredible brands we’re fond of today.

Cuba

Cuba is one of the most famous cigar-producing countries in the world, growing tobacco known for its delicious flavors and high-quality profiles.

Cuban cigars are still banned in the United States due to the 1962 trade embargo. This was implemented to stop all imports from Cuba.

60 years on, this embargo remains in place today. Despite this, Cuba has a fantastic reputation for manufacturing some of the best cigars in the world. Famous brands hand-crafted in Cuba include the original version of Montecristo, Partagas, H. Upmann, and Cohiba.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic first cultivated tobacco in the 16^th century. Cigars from this part of the world are manufactured from light and smooth-flavored tobacco. Throughout the years, different strands have developed to be incredibly powerful.

The fantastic brands manufactured in the Dominican Republic include Arturo Fuente, the Dominican Montecristo, and La Flor Dominicana.

Nicaragua

Tobacco sourced from Nicaragua is known for its strength and spicy flavor thanks to the soil conditions and climate. Some of the incredible Nicaraguan cigars also carry roots from Cuba, with some lines using Cuban seeds to grow tobacco. These great brands include Padron, My Father, and Perdomo.

Honduras

This famous cigar-making country is the home of rich and fragrant tobacco flavors. Honduras cigars are associated with strength and darkness. Cigars constructed with tobacco from Honduras typically carry a nice earthy flavor.

Ecuador

Despite not being as new as Cuba and the Dominican Republic, Ecuador produces some fantastic cigar blends. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is a fantastic cigar staple that is featured on popular sticks like the Tatuaje, Montecristo, and Rocky Patel.

Mexico

Mexican tobacco has been used in the manufacturing of cigars for years. Mexico is known to produce some incredibly dark and delicious high-quality Maduro wrappers, also known as the San Andres. Great cigars that feature Mexican tobacco include Drew Estate Norteno and the Black Abyss.

Brazil

Tobacco grown in Brazil is known to be incredibly fragrant. Popular sticks often carry a dark wrapper that provides a smooth, sweet flavor. Brazilian tobacco is highly recognised from delicious smokes Liga Privada No. 9 and the Brand new Davidoff Escurio.

USA

Tobacco grown in the United States is famous for providing global hits like the mild and smooth Connecticut wrapper. This is the perfect wrapper for the everyday smoker and can be crossed with the variation grown in Ecuador.

Popular cigars grown in the US include Kentucky Fire Cured by Drew Estate, and Camacho American Barrel Aged, which all boast exceptional flavor profiles.

Millions of cigars are imported across the globe every year.

Smoking statistics suggest that the United States imported around 464.5 million cigars, according to the Cigar Association of America. Compared to other countries, this figure is standing at an all-time high, and we’re the leaders in having the highest number of cigar smokers in the world. This is understandable when we have such an incredible selection of premium stogies on the market.

Japan is the close second, standing with 154 million imports. Although cigar smoking in public or even at home is not as popular in Japan, they have plenty of cigar lounges.

Followed by Spain with 148.39 million in imports (described as a historical love affair), the country smokes more cigars than any country in Europe.

On the other hand, some countries have experienced an incredible gain from manufacturing and exporting premium stogies to other countries. Some of the top producers with the strongest gains in 2020 were Nicaragua, which experienced a 4.1% increase to 250.8 million cigars.

The Dominican Republic, the second-largest producer of cigars, experienced a 1.4%, by shipping 128.9 million cigars to the United States alone.

The third biggest producer, Honduras, was the only country to experience a decrease. This country dropped to around 1.3 percent, and only shipped 83 million cigars.

These three producers accounted for almost the entire production of imported, handmade cigars smoked in the United States.