The numbers are almost all in, and the American premium cigar market is holding its ground in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Through the first eleven months of 2025, imports of premium cigars — the kind made by hand, rolled by skilled torcedores in countries like Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras — reached 394.6 million cigars. That is a one percent increase over the same period in 2024, according to data released by the Cigar Association of America. With December still to be counted, and December being one of the busiest shipping months of the year, the industry is all but certain to clear 400 million cigars for the full year.
That would make 2025 the fifth straight year that premium cigar imports crossed that threshold.
Five years in a row above 400 million. Not a dramatic surge, not a collapse — just steady, consistent demand that has quietly defined what the premium cigar business looks like in America right now.
THE COUNTRY THAT RUNS THE SHOW
Nicaragua is not creeping up on the competition anymore. It owns the top spot, and the latest numbers make that clearer than ever.
Through November 2025, Nicaragua shipped 237.5 million premium cigars to the United States. That is a two percent increase over the same stretch in 2024, and it represents more than half of every premium cigar that crossed into the country during that time. Nicaragua's rise to the top of the cigar world has been one of the more remarkable stories in the industry over the past decade, driven by fertile growing land in regions like Jalapa and Estelí, a deep pool of experienced rollers, and factories that have attracted some of the most respected names in the business.
The Dominican Republic, long the undisputed king of premium cigar production, came in second with 84.9 million cigars through November — but that number was down nine percent compared to the same period in 2024. The DR still produces some of the most celebrated cigars on the market, and a single rough stretch in the import numbers does not define a country with that kind of history and craftsmanship. Still, a nine percent dip is worth watching as the year wraps up.
Honduras told a much better story. The third-largest exporter to the United States shipped 69 million cigars through November, which was a 14 percent jump over 2024. That was the biggest percentage gain among the three major producing nations, and it signals that Honduran production is gaining real momentum. The country's growing regions, particularly around Danlí and the Jamastran Valley, have long been known for producing tobacco with a distinctive richness, and its cigar factories have been drawing more attention from enthusiasts who want something a little different from what Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic typically offer.
PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE
To understand why the current run is worth paying attention to, it helps to look back just a few years.
In 2019, total premium cigar imports into the United States came in at 338 million. In 2020, the number climbed to 361 million. Then something shifted. By 2022, imports had surged all the way to 465 million cigars — the biggest year in the modern history of the industry. It was the kind of number that left people in the business wondering if the market had permanently changed or if it was a peak that would inevitably correct itself.
What happened next was neither a collapse nor another record run. The market settled into a steadier pattern. The year 2023 saw a modest pullback, and 2024 finished with imports up just 0.9 percent over 2023. Now 2025 appears to be tracking along the same measured path — minimal growth, stable demand, no dramatic swings in either direction.
For anyone who has watched other categories of luxury goods bounce around wildly in recent years, the steadiness of the premium cigar market stands out. These are not cheap products. A quality hand-rolled cigar can easily run anywhere from eight to twenty dollars or more, and serious enthusiasts think nothing of spending considerably more for something special. The fact that millions of Americans are consistently making that purchase, month after month, year after year, says something real about the place cigars hold in people's lives.
THE RITUAL THAT KEEPS DRAWING PEOPLE BACK
There is something about a premium cigar that resists easy explanation to someone who has never sat down and enjoyed one properly. It is not a fast experience. It is not something you do in five minutes between meetings. A well-made cigar demands time — often an hour or more — and the people who smoke them tend to treat that time as something worth protecting.
For a lot of men, the cigar ritual is tied up with specific moments. A round of golf finished well. A milestone birthday. A wedding. A lazy Saturday afternoon on the back porch with nothing urgent on the schedule. The cigar is not incidental to those moments. It is part of what makes them feel complete.
That connection to occasion and ritual is part of what has kept demand from falling off even as other discretionary spending has come under pressure. People will cut back on a lot of things before they give up the small pleasures that help mark the important moments in their lives.
Cigar lounges and shops across the country report that their regulars remain steady, and that new faces keep showing up — often younger men who have discovered the hobby through a friend or a family member and found themselves drawn into the culture of it. The knowledge that goes into understanding different tobacco origins, wrapper types, strengths, and flavor profiles gives the hobby an intellectual dimension that keeps people engaged long after the novelty wears off.
DECEMBER HOLDS THE FINAL ANSWER
As of now, the official 2025 number is not finalized. December shipments have not been counted, and December tends to be one of the heaviest months for cigar imports. Retailers stock up ahead of the holiday season, when cigars move well as gifts and when the tradition of lighting one up to mark the new year drives a last surge of purchasing.
If December comes in anywhere close to historical norms, the full-year 2025 total will land comfortably above 400 million. Whether it clears 410 million or settles closer to the low end of that range remains to be seen, but the fifth consecutive year above the 400 million mark is not seriously in question at this point.
What is less certain is what 2026 will bring. The market is stable but not growing fast. Nicaragua appears to have room to keep building its share. The Dominican Republic will be looking to reverse its recent dip. Honduras has momentum on its side. And the American consumer who enjoys a premium cigar has shown no real signs of walking away from the habit.
Five years of 400 million is a streak worth noting. Whether it becomes six will depend on a lot of factors — the economy, the regulatory environment, production conditions in the growing regions, and the simple, reliable fact that some men just enjoy a good cigar and are not in a hurry to stop.
