The UK’s adult smoking rate fell to a record-low 9.8% in 2025 from 10.6% in 2024, with about 4.9 million people aged 18 and over reporting that they smoked, according to data released Oct. 6 by the Office for National Statistics. In Great Britain, 5.4 million adults, or 9.9% of those aged 16 and over, reported using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally, compared with 4.8 million current smokers, continuing a trend that began in 2024 when vaping overtook smoking. E-cigarette use was highest among 25- to 34-year-olds, at 16.4%.
John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said the figures demonstrate the role vaping is playing in reducing smoking but criticized government policies, including the Vaping Products Duty that took effect Oct. 1. Dunne cited UKVIA research showing 50% of surveyed vapers feared the duty could push them back to smoking or the black market, while industry-backed analysis estimated 946,000 vapers and dual users could switch exclusively to smoking. He called for a “Fair Deal for Vaping” that protects young people while maintaining access to vaping products for adult smokers seeking to quit.
