Poor people are more likely to use tobacco, which increases poverty and undernutrition. Tobacco use is most common among the poor, who have limited access to financial resources and health care. For people from poorer backgrounds, spending on tobacco means fewer resources are available to spend on basic needs such as food, education and shelter. Using tobacco affects health and causes illnesses, which leads to poverty for people suffering from these illnesses, as well as their families because they have to spend on health care. This often occurs in countries where food insecurity and productivity are major concerns.

Growing tobacco uses agricultural land that could have otherwise been used to grow food, which causes undernutrition. In some countries that grow tobacco, data show that more than 10% of people are undernourished.