Vape users overtake smokers for first time as UK hits record low smoking rates

Adult cigarette smoking in the UK has fallen to its lowest level on record, with e-cigarette use now more common than smoking for the first time, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS said around 5.3 million adults (10.6 per cent) smoked cigarettes in 2024 – down from 11.1 per cent a year earlier and less than half the rate recorded in 2011 (20.2 per cent). The data, drawn from the Annual Population Survey, shows the UK edging closer to the government’s goal of a smoke-free England by 2030, defined as smoking prevalence of 5 per cent or less.

As per the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, which covers people aged 16 years and over in Britain, around 5.4 million adults (10 per cent) said they used an e-cigarette either daily or occasionally in 2024, overtaking the number of current smokers (9.1 per cent) for the first time, though this is not the official estimate for smoking prevalence.

Youth smoking down, vaping stabilises

The sharpest drop in smoking was seen among 18–24-year-olds, where prevalence has fallen from 25.7 per cent in 2011 to just 8.1 per cent in 2024. Adults aged 25–34 remain the most likely to smoke (12.6 per cent), but they are also among the biggest daily e-cigarette users.

E-cigarette use was highest among 16–24-year-olds (13 per cent), though this marks a fall from 15.8 per cent last year. The ONS said daily vaping increased among 25–49-year-olds, suggesting some former smokers are switching more permanently to e-cigarettes.

Occasional vape use declined from 3.9 per cent in 2023 to 3.3 per cent in 2024, suggesting that some individuals may have either transitioned to daily use or stopped using e-cigarettes altogether.

Gender, regional differences

The proportion of men using e-cigarettes fell from 11.0 per cent to 10.1 per cent in 2024, while use among women rose from 8.5 per cent to 10 per cent. Among women aged 25–34, vaping increased sharply – from 10.5 per cent to 13.7 per cent – making them one of the fastest-growing demographics of regular e-cigarette users.

Smoking rates remain lowest in England (10.4 per cent) and highest in Scotland (12 per cent), with Wales (11.4 per cent) and Northern Ireland (10.5 per cent) in between. Locally, Fenland (19.8 per cent) and Blackpool (19.7 per cent) recorded the highest smoking prevalence, while Woking (4.2 per cent) and Epsom and Ewell (4.8 per cent) had the lowest.