Updated government data reveals that vaping among never-smokers in Great Britain has reached significant levels, with official figures confirming the trend for the first time across multiple regions. The Office for National Statistics reported that approximately 1.1 million people aged 16 and above who have never smoked cigarettes reported using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025. This represents a sharp increase from 2021, when 1.5% of never-smokers reported current e-cigarette use, nearly doubling to the current 2.9% of the population.
Overall e-cigarette usage remains relatively widespread across Great Britain, with about 5.4 million people (9.9% of those aged 16 and above) reporting daily or occasional use. The highest concentration of vaping occurs among those aged 25-34, at 16.4%. Notably, the 25-34 age group has now become the most common demographic of e-cigarette users, surpassing the 16-24 age group that previously held that distinction between 2021 and 2024. This shift may reflect both the aging of existing users and growing uptake among this particular age bracket.
Healthcare and public health professionals have expressed concerns about these developments. Justin Webb, an associate professor at London Metropolitan University, noted that while e-cigarettes can assist adults in quitting smoking, they carry health risks and their long-term effects remain incompletely understood. He emphasized the need to maintain their utility as cessation tools while strengthening safeguards against adoption among youth and individuals without smoking histories.
In parallel findings, cigarette smoking in the UK has continued its long-standing decline, with approximately 4.9 million people aged 18 and over (9.8%) currently smoking in 2025. This marks a decrease from 10.6% in 2024 and represents the lowest proportion of smokers on record. The most substantial reduction has occurred among young adults aged 18-24, declining from 25.7% in 2011 to 7.2% in 2025. Men continue to smoke at higher rates than women, with 11.3% of men and 8.2% of women identified as current smokers.
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