Smoking facts and figures
UK smoking,in numbers.
The latest figures on smoking, vaping and health.
- 9.8%of adults in the UK smoked cigarettes in 2025, about 4.9 million people.
- 20.2%smoked in 2011, when these figures began.
- 9.9%of adults in Great Britain used an e-cigarette in 2025, about 5.4 million people.
- 74%of people who have ever smoked regularly have now stopped.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics, published October 2026.
Who smokes
- 11.3%
- of men smoke, about 2.8 million.
- 8.2%
- of women smoke, about 2.1 million.
- 12.4%
- of people aged 45 to 54 smoke, the highest of any age group.
- 7.2%
- of people aged 18 to 24 smoke, down from 25.7% in 2011. The same share of people aged 65 and over smoke.
Vaping
- 6.5%
- of adults vape every day.
- 3.4%
- vape occasionally.
- 16.4%
- of people aged 25 to 34 vape, the highest of any age group.
In Great Britain, more adults now vape (9.9%) than smoke (8.7%), according to the same survey.
Stopping
- 74%
- of people who have ever smoked regularly have stopped.
- 52%
- of people who smoke say they intend to stop.
- 20%
- intend to stop within the next three months.
Health
- 74,600
- deaths in England in 2019 were caused by smoking, according to NHS England.
- 1 in 2
- lifelong smokers will die early because of smoking.
- 10 years
- is how much sooner people who smoke all their lives die than non-smokers, on average.
- 6 in 10
- Smoking causes more than 6 in 10 lung cancer cases in the UK, and at least 16 types of cancer.
- 20–30%
- is how much second-hand smoke raises a non-smoker’s risk of lung cancer.
- £44.8bn
- is the estimated yearly cost of smoking to England. Tobacco taxes raise about £7.5bn.
Smoking facts
More to read
Stop smoking hypnotherapy
A simpler wayto stop.
One session, tailored to you, by Zoom from your own home, with the personalised recording to keep.
We start with a conversation about your smoking or vaping, then the hypnotherapy, based on what you’ve told me. The aim is for you to feel like a non-smoker, not an ex-smoker who still misses cigarettes.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2025, October 2026
- Action on Smoking and Health: Smoking facts at a glance, February 2026
- Cancer Research UK: How does smoking cause cancer?, reviewed June 2026
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