As of 2020, what is currently the best-selling cigarette brand in the world?

Marlboro is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States, and by Philip Morris International outside the United States. Richmond, Virginia, is the location of the largest Marlboro cigarette manufacturing plant. Marlboro is the best-selling cigarette brand in the world since 1972. As of 2017, Marlboro had 40% market share in the United States, more than the next seven brands combined. Part of Marlboro's rise in market share is its ability to produce "milder, more aromatic, sweeter, and less harsh" cigarettes.

The brand Marlboro was registered in the United States in 1908 although no cigarette was marketed under this name until 1923. In 1924, the product was launched. They were first marketed as "America's luxury cigarette" and were mainly sold in hotels and resorts. Shortly before World War II, the brand's sales stagnated at less than 1% of tobacco sales in the United States and was briefly withdrawn from the market. After the war, Camel, Lucky Strike, and Chesterfield were the only common cigarettes.

Since its reintroduction, Marlboro has used advertising and promotions to gain traction on becoming the world's best-selling cigarette brand. However, Philip Morris USA now says cigarette sales are declining faster than it expected as smokers pick up e-cigarettes and give up traditional smokes altogether.