More than 1.1 million people in Great Britain now use e-cigarettes despite having never regularly smoked, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure represents a near doubling of the prevalence of vaping among non-smokers over a four-year period, raising concerns among health experts about the long-term impact of electronic nicotine delivery systems.
The 2025 data indicates that approximately 5.4 million people aged 16 and above in England, Scotland, and Wales used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally. This accounts for 9.9% of the adult population in these regions. While overall smoking rates continue to decline, the uptake of vaping among those who have never lit a cigarette has accelerated significantly.
Surge in Vaping Among Never-Smokers
The proportion of people who have never smoked cigarettes but currently vape has risen from 1.5% in 2021 to 2.9% in 2025. This shift means that roughly 1.1 million individuals in Great Britain are now part of this demographic. Previous estimates published in the Lancet Public Health journal in 2024 suggested the number in England alone was close to one million, but the latest ONS release provides the first official confirmation that the total across Great Britain has surpassed that threshold.
Justin Webb, an associate professor of physical activity and health at London Metropolitan University, described the trend as “somewhat concerning.” He noted that while vapes can serve as a tool for adults to quit smoking, they are not without risk. “Their full long-term effects remain unclear,” Webb said. “We need to preserve their value as a quitting aid while strengthening protection against uptake among children and non-smokers.”
Shift in Demographics and Age Groups
The data reveals a notable shift in the age demographics of e-cigarette users. The 25-34 age group now has the highest rate of vaping at 16.4%, overtaking 16- to 24-year-olds, who held the top spot between 2021 and 2024. This is the only age group in which e-cigarette use increased from 2024, when it stood at 12.9%.
David Mais from the ONS suggested this shift could reflect existing users aging into this bracket, growing popularity among young adults, or a combination of both factors. “E-cigarette users are also getting older,” Mais stated, highlighting the changing landscape of nicotine consumption in the UK.
Meanwhile, traditional cigarette smoking continues its long-term decline. Separate ONS figures covering all four nations of the UK show that about 4.9 million people aged 18 and over, or 9.8% of the population, smoked cigarettes in 2025. This is a decrease from 10.6% in 2024 and marks the lowest proportion of smokers on record.
The reduction in smoking prevalence has been most significant among younger adults. Between 2011 and 2025, the smoking rate for those aged 18-24 dropped from 25.7% to 7.2%. Men remain more likely to smoke than women, with 11.3% of men and 8.2% of women identified as current smokers in 2025.
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, welcomed the drop in traditional smoking. “For the first time, fewer than one in 10 people in the UK smoke,” she said. “This is really encouraging progress and shows what can be achieved through sustained action to reduce smoking.”
Despite the decline in smoking, e-cigarette use remains more common than cigarette smoking and has followed an overall upward trend since 2020. The ONS data underscores the complex dual trend of decreasing tobacco use alongside increasing e-cigarette adoption among non-smokers.
Source: The Guardian
