Chinese men now smoke one-third of all the world's cigarettes, and a third of all young men in China are doomed to eventually die from the habit, scientists in China and Britain have concluded.

Their study, published last week in The Lancet, estimated that two-thirds of all males in China smoked, more were still taking up the habit and more were starting as teenagers, which adds risk.

A study has found that one-third of all young men smoke cigarettes in China. Credit:Mark Schiefelbein/AP

With population growth stagnant, the number of men 60 or older is expected to double by 2030, and the number dying of smoking-related ailments each year will triple, hitting 3 million a year by 2050.

More smokers are stopping by choice, the study found, but still only 9 per cent did so.