The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is a self-administered, school-based survey of students in grades associated with 13 to 15 years of age designed to enhance the capacity of countries to monitor tobacco use among youth and to guide the implementation and evaluation of tobacco prevention and control programmes. The GYTS uses a standard methodology for constructing the sampling frame, selecting schools and classes, preparing questionnaires, following consistent field procedures, and using consistent data management procedures for data processing and analysis.

The GYTS is an important tool to assist countries in supporting WHO MPOWER, a package of six evidence-based demand reduction measures contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The results from the GYTS assist countries in enhancing their capacity to design, implement, and evaluate tobacco control interventions.