For the first time, more people in Great Britain vape than smoke, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Data showed that 1 in 10 adults (10%) aged 16 and over used e-cigarettes daily, compared with 9.1% who said they smoked cigarettes every day. That equated to around 5.4 million vapers and 4.9 million smokers.

In 2024, around 1 in 10 men (10.1%) and women (10%) reported vaping daily or occasionally. The proportion of women in this category increased from 8.5% in 2023, while the figure for men fell from 11%.

E-cigarette use remained most common among 16- to 24-year-olds at 13%, down from 15.8% in 2023. 

An estimated 6.7% of people aged 16 and over in Britain reported vaping daily, up from 5.9% in 2023. Daily use was highest among those aged 25-34 and 35-49, at 9.3% and 9.5%, respectively.

The ONS also found that 2.7% of daily or occasional vapers had never smoked. The proportion of people who had never used an e-cigarette declined slightly to 83.4%, from 84.2% in 2023. 

Smoking at Record Low

Around 5.3 million people aged 18 and over (10.6%) smoked cigarettes in 2024, the lowest level since records began in 2011.

“This is in line with the long-term trend of fewer people smoking cigarettes over the past decade,” said David Mais from the ONS.

Men remained more likely to smoke than women, with around 3 million men (12.3%) and 2.3 million women (9%) reporting current smoking.

The highest smoking rate was seen among those aged 25-34 (12.6%), while people aged 65 and over were least likely to smoke (7.1%).

Between 2011 and 2024, smoking prevalence among 18- to 24-year-olds dropped sharply from 25.7% to 8.1%.

Smoking rates fell across all UK nations in 2024, with 10.4% of adults smoking in England, 11.4% in Wales, 12% in Scotland, and 10.5% in Northern Ireland.

Locally, Fenland (19.8%) and Blackpool (19.7%) had the highest smoking rates, while Woking (4.2%) and Epsom and Ewell (4.8%) had the lowest.

More People Quitting

The percentage of adults who said they had quit smoking rose to 74.2% in 2024, from 70.9% in 2023.

Current and former smokers were increasingly likely to vape, with 32.8% and 20.8% doing so in 2024, up from 31.6% and 18.7% in 2023.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) welcomed the findings, describing the rise in vaping as positive for public health.

“It is a significant moment that for the first time more adults consume nicotine through vapes than tobacco,” said Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of ASH. “The growth in vaping has almost certainly contributed to the fall in smoking and is therefore to be welcomed.” 

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.