The proportion of people in Great Britain who vape and have never smoked has nearly doubled since 2021, according to data presented. Currently, over one million people in Great Britain vape despite never having smoked regularly.
Estimates published in the Lancet Public Health journal in 2024 indicated that 1,006,000 people in England vaped without prior smoking history. The figure for Great Britain in 2025 reached 1.1 million, an increase from 940,000 recorded in 2024.
Justin Webb noted that it was “somewhat concerning that 1.1 million people who have never smoked reported using an e-cigarette”. Regarding usage rates, about 5.4 million people aged 16 and above across England, Scotland, and Wales used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025, representing 9.9% of the population.
The 25-34 age bracket showed the highest rate of vaping at 16.4%, and it was the only age group to see an increase in e-cigarette use, rising from 12.9% in 2024. Shifting focus to smoking, approximately 4.9 million people aged 18 and older, or 9.8% of the population, smoked cigarettes in 2025.
Smoking prevalence decreased from 10.6% in 2024 to 9.8% in 2025. David Mais stated that fewer than one in ten adults now smoke.
Hazel Cheeseman confirmed that for the first time, fewer than one in ten people in the UK smoke. In 2025, men were more likely to smoke than women across the UK.
About 2.8 million men, making up 11.3% of the population, were estimated to be current smokers in 2025. The most significant drop in smoking rates between 2011 and 2025 occurred among the 18-24 age group, falling from 25.7% to 7.2%.
