The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that more than 1.1 million people in Great Britain who have never smoked a cigarette are now regular vape users. This steady shift has driven the national vaping rate to 9.9% among individuals aged 16 and older, surpassing the 8.7% who smoke traditional cigarettes.
Vaping Rises Among Young Adults as Uptake Expands
E-cigarette adoption continues to concentrate heavily among young adults. Among 25-to-34-year-olds, 16.4% were active vape users in 2025—up from 12.5% in 2024 and just 8.3% in 2020.
For individuals aged 16 to 24, usage stood at 12.9% in 2025. While this represents a slight drop from a peak of 15.9% in 2023, it remains nearly double the 7.0% recorded in 2020. The growth among non-smokers accounts for much of the ongoing expansion, rising from 940,000 users in 2024 to over 1.1 million in 2025.
Smoking Disparities Persist Across Regions and Housing Types
While vaping numbers climb, traditional smoking rates show sharp regional divides. In areas such as Clackmannanshire and Kingston upon Hull, 19.5% of adults still smoke, followed closely by Wyre (18.3%), Hyndburn (17.7%), and Ashfield (17.6%). Conversely, Brentwood recorded the lowest smoking prevalence in the country at just 0.7%, followed by Mole Valley at 1.3% and the Shetland Islands at 2.1%.
Smoking prevalence also correlates directly with housing tenure across Great Britain:
| Housing Tenure | Smoking Prevalence (2025) |
|---|---|
| Social Housing (Council / Housing Association) | 23.2% |
| Private Renters | 13.1% |
| Homeowners (With Mortgage) | 6.3% |
| Homeowners (Owned Outright) | 5.9% |
These figures demonstrate that while smoking rates have fallen to record lows in affluent and suburban districts, traditional tobacco use remains concentrated in specific geographic and socioeconomic sectors.
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