The UK now has more vapers than smokers.

New official estimates published by the British government[1] indicate that there are now more vapers than smokers in the United Kingdom[2]By 2024, approximately 5.4 million people aged 16 and over reported vaping daily or occasionally, compared to 4.9 million current smokers. According to researchers, this trend reflects the role of vaping in smoking cessation.

Vaping is becoming more common than smoking in the United Kingdom

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for 2024 shows that the daily vaping rate among adults aged 16 and over increased from 5.9 % in 2023 to 6.7 % in 2024. While use decreased slightly among 16-24 year olds (from 6.9 % to 6.1 %), it increased among 35-49 year olds (from 6.8 % to 9.5 %). Most vapers are former or current smokers.

The ONS survey also suggests that 10% of adults aged 16 and over vape daily or occasionally, slightly more than the 9.1% who report currently smoking.

Meanwhile, the proportion of smokers aged 18 and over has reached a historically low level of 10.6 per 100,000 in the UK, representing approximately 5.3 million people. Regional disparities persist: 10.4 per 100,000 in England, 11.4 per 100,000 in Wales, 12 per 100,000 in Scotland, and 10.5 per 100,000 in Northern Ireland.

After having massively promoted electronic cigarettes, the British government is now pursuing a strategy of maintaining vaping as an "alternative" to tobacco but is forced to develop measures to prevent the use of electronic cigarettes among young people, which is rising sharply.

The decline in smoking is welcomed, but vaping is not the long-term solution.

For Hazel Cheeseman, executive director of the organization ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), these advances reflect the effects of a consistent long-term anti-smoking policy, while regretting that smokers continue to be trapped in a nicotine addiction.

She points out that nearly five million Britons still smoke, and that the country must accelerate efforts to reach the 2019 target of a tobacco-free England by 2030, meaning fewer than 5 million smokers, which would translate to a 0.9 percentage point decrease in the smoking rate per year. Currently, smoking is responsible for 70,000 premature deaths each year and is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK.

According to Hazel Cheeseman, more investment is needed in smoking cessation, particularly in the most affected communities.

Much of the decline in smoking prevalence in the UK is due to strict public health policies, not the effect of vaping. In 2006-2007, the UK banned smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces. In 2015, smoking in cars with children present was prohibited. In 2017, plain cigarette packaging was introduced. Each measure has made cigarette packaging less appealing, particularly to young people.[3]Finally, a consistent fiscal policy has led to a significant limitation of the accessibility of tobacco products and has discouraged people from starting to smoke.

Vaping, although on the rise, still needs to be regulated. ASH believes that the new provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will offer an opportunity to regulate these products, particularly in terms of marketing, in order to prevent their initiation among young people and non-smokers.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords and aiming for a tobacco-free generation, includes provisions to restrict the sale, promotion, packaging, and flavorings of e-cigarettes, particularly those targeting minors, such as colorful packaging and sweet flavors. Restrictions on nicotine content are also being considered. The bill is supported by many British health experts.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Office for National Statistics (ONS), ONS website, statistical bulletin, Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2024Published on November 4, 2025, accessed on November 6, 2025

[2]ASH, Fall in smoking means more people now vape than smokePublished on November 4, 2025, accessed on November 6, 2025

[3]Grand Pinnacle Tribune, Vapers Surpass Smokers In Britain For First TimePublished on November 5, 2025, accessed on November 6, 2025

National Committee Against Smoking |