On average, a single cigarette contains about 10 to 12 milligrams (mg) of nicotine, though this can vary widely by brand and type, ranging from as low as 6 mg to as high as 28 mg per cigarette

. However, not all of this nicotine is absorbed by the body when smoking. Typically, only about 1.1 to 1.8 mg of nicotine is actually inhaled and absorbed per cigarette

. For a standard pack of 20 cigarettes, this results in roughly 22 to 36 mg of nicotine absorbed into the body

. The variation in nicotine content depends on factors such as cigarette size, tobacco amount, and brand. In summary:

• Nicotine content per cigarette: approximately 10–12 mg on average (range 6–28 mg)
• Nicotine absorbed per cigarette: about 1.1–1.8 mg
• Nicotine absorbed per pack (20 cigarettes): about 22–36 mg