Official statistics from the Office for National Statistics reveal that vaping among never-smokers in Great Britain has reached concerning levels. Approximately 1.1 million people aged 16 and above who have never been regular smokers reported using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025. This figure represents a sharp increase from 2021, when 1.5% of never-smokers reported current e-cigarette use, nearly doubling over the four-year period.
Overall e-cigarette usage in Great Britain stands at 5.4 million people aged 16 and above (9.9% of the population) in 2025. The age group most likely to vape shifted in 2025, with those aged 25-34 now showing the highest usage rate at 16.4%, up from 12.9% the previous year. This marks a change from previous years when 16- to 24-year-olds represented the largest proportion of e-cigarette users. Experts note that while vaping may assist adults in quitting smoking, the devices are not without risk and their long-term health effects remain unclear.
In contrast, traditional cigarette smoking continues its long-term decline. Approximately 4.9 million people aged 18 and over in the UK (9.8% of the population) smoked cigarettes in 2025, down from 10.6% the year prior. Men remain more likely to smoke than women, with 11.3% of men and 8.2% of women identified as current smokers. The most significant reduction in smoking prevalence occurred among 18- to 24-year-olds, declining from 25.7% in 2011 to 7.2% in 2025.
Health officials express mixed reactions to the data. While acknowledging progress on traditional smoking reduction, researchers caution that e-cigarette uptake among never-smokers warrants concern. They emphasize the need to balance preserving vaping’s potential as a smoking cessation tool while strengthening safeguards against use among children and individuals who have never smoked.
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