UK Vaping Statistics 2026 — Data, Facts & Trends
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UK Vaping Statistics 2026 — Data, Facts & Trends
Last updated: June 2026. This page compiles the latest UK vaping statistics from official sources including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), NHS Digital, and YouGov. All data is sourced from published research — see citations below.
Journalists, researchers, and bloggers are welcome to cite and link to this page. If you republish any statistics, please attribute: Absolute Vape UK (absolutevape.co.uk).
Table of Contents
- How Many People Vape in the UK?
- Vaping vs Smoking Statistics UK
- UK Vaper Demographics
- UK Vaping Market Size & Value
- UK Vaping Health Statistics
- Youth Vaping Statistics UK
- Smoking Cessation & Vaping Statistics
- Cost of Smoking vs Vaping Statistics
- Regional UK Vaping Statistics
- UK Vaping Product Trends
- Data Sources & Citations
1. How Many People Vape in the UK?
- 📊 4.7 million adults currently vape in the UK (ASH, 2025)
- 📊 This represents approximately 9.1% of the UK adult population
- 📊 UK vaper numbers have grown by over 300% since 2012 (from ~700,000 to 4.7 million)
- 📊 2.7 million current vapers are ex-smokers who have completely stopped smoking
- 📊 1.3 million current vapers have never smoked (up from 0.3 million in 2021)
- 📊 The UK has the second highest vaping rate in Europe after France
UK Vapers Over Time
| Year | Estimated UK Vapers | % of Adult Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 700,000 | 1.4% |
| 2014 | 2,100,000 | 4.1% |
| 2016 | 2,800,000 | 5.5% |
| 2018 | 3,200,000 | 6.2% |
| 2020 | 3,600,000 | 7.0% |
| 2022 | 4,300,000 | 8.3% |
| 2024 | 4,500,000 | 8.7% |
| 2025 | 4,700,000 | 9.1% |
2. Vaping vs Smoking Statistics UK
- 🚬 6.0 million adults smoke in the UK (ONS, 2025) — down from 10.9 million in 2011
- 💨 4.7 million adults vape in the UK (ASH, 2025)
- 📉 UK smoking rates have fallen from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.6% in 2025
- 📈 UK vaping rates have grown from 1.4% in 2012 to 9.1% in 2025
- 🔄 57% of current UK vapers are ex-smokers (ASH, 2024)
- 🔄 For the first time in 2024, the number of UK vapers (4.5m) nearly matched the number of smokers (6.0m)
- 💊 Vaping is the most popular smoking cessation aid in the UK, used by more people than nicotine patches, gum, and prescription medications combined
UK Smoking vs Vaping Rate Comparison 2025
| Behaviour | Adults | % of Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current smoker | 6,000,000 | 11.6% | 📉 Declining |
| Current vaper | 4,700,000 | 9.1% | 📈 Growing |
| Ex-smoker now vaping | 2,700,000 | 5.2% | 📈 Growing |
| Dual user (smokes & vapes) | 700,000 | 1.4% | ➡️ Stable |
| Never-smoked vaper | 1,300,000 | 2.5% | 📈 Growing |
3. UK Vaper Demographics
Vaping by Age Group
| Age Group | Vaping Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 15.4% | Highest rate among any age group |
| 25–34 | 13.1% | Second highest, many ex-smokers |
| 35–44 | 10.2% | Growing segment |
| 45–54 | 8.7% | Majority are ex-smokers switching |
| 55–64 | 6.9% | Long-term smoker switchers |
| 65+ | 3.2% | Smallest but growing segment |
Vaping by Gender
- 👨 10.3% of UK adult men vape
- 👩 7.9% of UK adult women vape
- 📊 The male/female gap in vaping is narrowing — in 2020 it was 4.2 percentage points; by 2025 it is 2.4 points
Vaping by Socioeconomic Group
- Routine and manual workers (C2DE) have the highest vaping rates at 12.1%
- Professional and managerial workers (ABC1) vape at 7.2%
- This reflects the higher smoking rates among lower socioeconomic groups and the corresponding higher switching rate to vaping
4. UK Vaping Market Size & Value
- 💷 The UK vaping market is valued at approximately £1.8 billion in 2025 (UKVIA)
- 📈 Market value has grown by approximately 40% since 2020
- 🏪 There are approximately 7,000 specialist vape shops across the UK
- 💻 45% of UK vaping products are sold online (up from 30% in 2019)
- 📦 The UK is the largest vaping market in Europe by retail value
- 🔋 Disposable vapes represented 38% of total UK e-cigarette unit sales in 2024
- 📊 Nic salt e-liquids represent the fastest growing segment by volume in the UK market
UK Vaping Market Value by Year
| Year | Market Value | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | £832m | — |
| 2019 | £991m | +19% |
| 2020 | £1,040m | +5% |
| 2021 | £1,180m | +13% |
| 2022 | £1,380m | +17% |
| 2023 | £1,580m | +14% |
| 2024 | £1,720m | +9% |
| 2025 (est.) | £1,800m | +5% |
5. UK Vaping Health Statistics
- 🏥 UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA): Vaping is approximately 95% less harmful than smoking
- 🏥 Royal College of Physicians: E-cigarette risks are "unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking"
- 🏥 Cancer Research UK: No evidence that vaping causes cancer; tobacco smoking causes 15 different types of cancer
- 💉 Tobacco smoking kills approximately 76,000 people per year in England alone
- 💊 The NHS spends approximately £2.5 billion per year treating smoking-related illness
- 🫁 Former smokers who switch to vaping show significant improvements in lung function within 3–6 months
- ❤️ Cardiovascular risk markers improve measurably within weeks of switching from smoking to vaping
- ⚠️ Vaping is not risk-free — it is recommended only for adult smokers as a less harmful alternative, not for non-smokers
6. Youth Vaping Statistics UK
- 👦 7.6% of 11–17 year olds in England currently vape (NHS Digital, 2024)
- 📈 Youth vaping rates have increased significantly since 2020 (from 4% in 2020)
- 🚫 It is illegal to sell vaping products to anyone under 18 in the UK
- 📊 The majority of underage vapers report obtaining vapes via proxy purchases (someone else buying for them)
- 🔬 The primary driver of youth vaping is curiosity about flavours and peer influence
- 🏛️ The UK government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill (2024) introduced measures specifically targeting youth vaping prevention
7. Smoking Cessation & Vaping Statistics
- ✅ Vaping is twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapies (patches, gum) for long-term smoking cessation (Cochrane Review, 2024)
- ✅ 59.7% of smokers who used e-cigarettes to quit reported having quit smoking at 12-month follow-up (NHS Stop Smoking Services, 2024)
- ✅ NHS Stop Smoking Services report that clients using e-cigarettes have the highest abstinence rates of any cessation method
- 📊 3 in 5 ex-smokers who now vape say vaping was the primary reason they stopped smoking
- 📊 1.3 million UK smokers attempted to quit using e-cigarettes in 2024
- 💊 The NHS has formally recommended vaping as a cessation tool since 2019
- 🏥 Some NHS Trusts provide free starter vape kits to patients who smoke
8. Cost of Smoking vs Vaping Statistics UK
- 💷 Average cost of 20 cigarettes in the UK (2025): £12.73
- 💷 Average annual spend of a 20-a-day smoker: £4,646
- 💨 Average annual cost of vaping (refillable pod + nic salts): £400–£600
- 💨 Average annual cost of vaping (disposable vapes only): £1,200–£1,800
- 💰 Potential annual saving switching from cigarettes to refillable vaping: up to £4,200
- 📈 Cigarette prices in the UK have increased by 87% since 2010 due to duty escalation
- 📊 The UK Treasury raised £10.2 billion in tobacco duty revenue in 2024/25
Annual Cost Comparison: Cigarettes vs Vaping
| Method | Daily Cost | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarettes (20/day) | £12.73 | £387 | £4,646 |
| Disposable vapes (1/day) | £4.50 | £137 | £1,643 |
| Pod kit + nic salts (1 bottle/day) | £1.20 | £36 | £438 |
| Sub-ohm + shortfills | £0.90 | £27 | £329 |
9. Regional UK Vaping Statistics
- 🏴 England: 9.1% adult vaping rate — highest of the four nations
- 🏴 Scotland: 8.2% adult vaping rate
- 🏴 Wales: 8.8% adult vaping rate
- 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland: 7.6% adult vaping rate
- 🏙️ Vaping rates are highest in urban areas and lowest in rural communities
- 📍 The North East of England has both the highest smoking rate and the highest vaping rate in England — consistent with its higher smoking history and active switching
- 🏙️ London has the lowest smoking rate in England (9.4%) and a growing vaping rate driven by younger demographics
10. UK Vaping Product Trends 2025–2026
- 📦 Nicotine salts overtook freebase as the most popular e-liquid format in the UK in 2023 — a trend that continues in 2026
- 🔋 Rechargeable disposables (IVG 2400, Lost Mary Tappo) are the fastest-growing product category as single-use disposables face tighter regulation
- 🍓 Fruit and ice flavours represent 64% of all UK e-liquid sales by volume
- 🍂 Menthol flavours represent 18% of sales — boosted since the 2020 menthol cigarette ban
- 🍮 Dessert and tobacco flavours combined represent approximately 18% of the market
- 📱 Online sales of vaping products grew by 22% in 2024, accounting for 45% of total market value
- ⚗️ High-VG 100ml shortfills remain dominant among experienced sub-ohm vapers by volume sold
UK E-Liquid Flavour Market Share 2025
| Flavour Category | Market Share |
|---|---|
| Fruit (non-ice) | 38% |
| Ice/Menthol | 26% |
| Dessert/Sweet | 14% |
| Tobacco | 10% |
| Drinks (cola, lemonade, etc.) | 8% |
| Other | 4% |
11. Data Sources & Citations
All statistics on this page are sourced from publicly available research and official reports. We cite our sources transparently for journalists, academics, and researchers:
- Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) — Annual Use of e-cigarettes among adults in Great Britain surveys (ash.org.uk)
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) — E-cigarettes: an evidence update (gov.uk)
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) — Adult smoking habits in the UK (ons.gov.uk)
- NHS Digital — Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services; Statistics on smoking prevalence
- UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) — UK Vaping Industry Report 2024
- Royal College of Physicians — Nicotine without smoke: tobacco harm reduction (rcplondon.ac.uk)
- Cancer Research UK — E-cigarettes and vaping (cancerresearchuk.org)
- Cochrane Review — Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation (cochranelibrary.com)
- YouGov — UK vaping tracker data 2024–2025
Statistics are updated periodically as new data becomes available. Last updated: June 2026.
Want to cite this page? Use: Absolute Vape UK (2026). "UK Vaping Statistics 2026." absolutevape.co.uk
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