Vaping now more common than smoking across Britain
The number of people who vape has overtaken the number of smokers in Great Britain for the first time on record.
This is according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which found that around 5.4 million adults aged 16 years and over in Great Britain vaped daily or occasionally in 2024.
Compared to, data shows that 4.9 million adults reported smoking daily or occasionally over the same period, marking the first time vapers have overtaken smokers in the country.
The highest proportion of smokers in the UK is among those aged 25 to 34 years old, with 12.6% of this cohort reporting as smokers in 2024.
The percentage of men and women in the UK who vape is equal at around 10% each, and use of e-cigarettes is highest amongst those aged 16 to 24 years old.
Daily vaping was most common among people aged 35 to 49 years old, with 9.5% of respondents using an e-cigarette every day.
The ONS’s Annual Population Survey found that the proportion of people in the UK aged 18 or over who smoke cigarettes has dropped to 5.3 million, or 10.6% of the population.
This is the lowest proportion of current smokers since records began in 2011, marking a growing shift towards people choosing to vape or give up entirely.
The ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle survey found that the percentage of people who have quit smoking increased to 74.2% in 2024, a significant increase over the 70.9% who reported they had quite in 2023.
The graph below shows the decline in smoking over time along with the increase in the number of UK adults who are vaping and who have quit smoking.
