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Jump to Key Points Adults aged 25-34 are now the age group most likely to vape in Great Britain, overtaking 16- to 24-year-olds, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Those aged 25 to 34 were the only age group to see an increase in e-cigarette use, from 12.9% in 2024 to 16.4% in 2025. People aged 16-24 had been the most common users between 2021 and 2024.
E-cigarette users are getting older, David Mais of the ONS said in a press release. “This may reflect existing users getting older, growing popularity among this age group, or a combination of both,” he suggested.
Overall, 5.4 million adults aged 16 or older in Great Britain (9.9%) used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025. This was similar to 2024 but up from 6.4% in 2020, and more than the 4.8 million (8.7%) who smoked cigarettes.
- 25–34 y/o adults now highest vaping prevalence in Great Britain: 16.4%.
- 25–34 y/o only group with ↑ e-cig use vs 2024.
- Overall adult vaping stable at 9.9%; exceeds cigarette smoking 8.7%.
- Smoking prevalence <10% in 2025; ~50% ↓ since 2011.
- 51.7% of current smokers intend to quit; 33.8% also vape.
Downward Trend
In the UK, fewer than 1 in 10 (9.8%) people aged 18 or older smoked cigarettes in 2025. This was down from 10.6% in 2024, and followed a “long-term downward trend,” the ONS said, with the proportion of current smokers having fallen by around half since 2011, when the proportion was 20.2%.
The largest reduction in smoking prevalence between 2011 and 2025 was amongst those aged 18-24 years, from 25.7% to 7.2%.
As in previous years, in the UK in 2025, men were more likely to smoke than women. Around 2.8 million men (11.3%) and around 2.1 million women (8.2%) reported being current smokers. Those aged 45-54 years had the highest proportion of current smokers (12.4%), with the lowest proportion being those aged 18-24 years, and those aged 65 years or older (7.2%).
“Fewer than 1 in 10 adults now smoke,” Mais said. “This is the lowest proportion on record and continues the long-term decline in smoking.”
The local authorities with the highest prevalence of current smokers in the 5-year period 2021 to 2025 were Fenland (18.7%), Blackpool (18.5%), and Kingston upon Hull (18.5%), although all three areas saw smoking fall compared with the 5-year period 2019 to 2023.
The local authorities with the lowest prevalence from 2021 to 2025 were Epsom and Ewell (4.3%), and Woking (4.5%).
Over Half of Smokers Say They Intend to Quit
In Great Britain, almost three quarters (74.1%) of people who had ever smoked regularly said they had quit smoking in 2025, and just over half (51.7%) of current smokers said they intended to quit.
Amongst ex-smokers, 1 in 5 (20.7%) were e-cigarette users, similar to 2024 (20.8%), and a third of current smokers (33.8%) also used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally.
Rob Hicks is a retired National Health Service doctor. A well-known TV and radio broadcaster, he has written several books and has regularly contributed to national newspapers, magazines, and online publications. He is based in the United Kingdom.
