More than a million people who have never smoked a cigarette now use vapes regularly, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The use of electronic cigarettes has continued to rise among young adults in Great Britain.
Young adult vaping on the rise
One in every six 25-to-34-year-olds (16.4%) were current e-cigarette users in 2025, up from one in eight in 2024 and one in 12 in 2020.
Among 16-to-24-year-olds, one in eight (12.9%) used e-cigarettes last year. That is down from a peak of 15.9% in 2023 but still almost double the 7.0% recorded in 2020.
Vaping now more common than smoking
An estimated 1.1 million people who have never smoked a cigarette used vapes last year, up from 940,000 in 2024.
The use of e-cigarettes now stands at one in every 10 people aged 16 and over (9.9%), which is more than the 8.7% of people aged 16 and above who smoke cigarettes.
Regional and housing differences in smoking
Some parts of the country have far higher rates of smoking than others. Almost one in every five adults in both Clackmannanshire and Kingston upon Hull (19.5%) were smokers in 2025. In Wyre the proportion was 18.3%, in Hyndburn 17.7% and in Ashfield 17.6%.
Brentwood had the lowest rate in the country, with just 0.7% of adults smoking last year. That was followed by Mole Valley with 1.3%, the Shetland Islands with 2.1%, Broadland with 2.8% and Harlow at 3.1%.
People living in social housing are far more likely to be smokers than those in private rentals or who own their homes. Almost a quarter (23.2%) of people renting from local authorities or housing associations were smokers, compared to 13.1% who rented privately, 6.3% who owned a home via a mortgage, and 5.9% who owned their home outright.
