Tobacco is one of the traditional crops of Hungarian agriculture. For more than a hundred years, tobacco has been produced in regions where the environmental factors are most suitable for this crop. Tobacco growers used to have high ranking social position among the agricultural population, because the Tobacco Monopoly guaranteed a safe market and a high income. In this study we examined the change in tobacco production that took place during the past ten years, with special regard to varieties, surface planted to tobacco, technical level, supply of machines, yield and total production, as well as profitability. The economic indices are derived from trends in kind. It can be concluded from the study that the farm size and the number of growers has changed, the area planted to tobacco has decreased in the traditional growing regions, and the supply of machinery is inadequate. Modernization is the only way of improving tobacco production, but the farm income is insufficient to cover the expenses. Government support is needed to avoid further decrease in profitability and in the area planted.