One million UK adults who have never smoked before are now vaping, new stats reveal

More than a million UK adults who claim to have never smoked cigarettes are now vaping.

According to alarming new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), relating to people aged 16 and over, around 2.8 million men (11.3%) and 2.1 million women (8.2%) are thought to be smokers in the UK… but more than a million people, who have never smoked before, have now made the decision to start vaping instead.

People in the 25 to 34 age group were found to be the most likely to vape, according to the data, overtaking those aged 16 to 24, as it was the only age group to see a rise in e-cigarette usage.

Daily or occasional vaping is still higher than the proportion of people smoking cigarettes too, the ONS revealed, at 5.4 million, or 9.9%, versus 4.8 million (8.7%).

“Fewer than one in 10 adults now smoke,” commented David Mais, from the ONS.

“This is the lowest proportion on record and continues the long-term decline in smoking. [But] at the same time, e-cigarette use remains more common than smoking and has followed an overall upward trend since 2020.

“E-cigarette users are also getting older, with those aged 25 to 34 now overtaking 16 to 24-year-olds as the age group most likely to use them.

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“This may reflect existing users getting older, growing popularity among this age group, or a combination of both.”

Overall, the prevalence of smoking dropped in all four UK nations between 2024 and 2025.

Featured Image – Elsa Olofsson (via Unsplash)