In the UK, 1.1 million people vape despite never having smoked — The Guardian

In the United Kingdom, about 1.1 million people used electronic cigarettes in 2025 despite never having smoked cigarettes. This amounts to 2.9% of people who have never smoked and is almost double the 2021 figure, when it stood at 1.5%.

As The Guardian reports, data from the UK Office for National Statistics confirmed that the number of such users in England, Scotland and Wales exceeded one million for the first time. In 2024, it amounted to 940,000 people.

The spread of vaping

Overall, in 2025, around 5.4 million residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 16 and over used electronic cigarettes daily or occasionally, accounting for 9.9% of this population group. The highest rate was recorded among people aged 25 to 34, at 16.4%.

This age group was the only one in which electronic cigarette use increased over the year, from 12.9% in 2024 to 16.4% in 2025. It overtook the 16–24 age group, which had the highest share of electronic cigarette users in 2021–2024.

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Smoking continues to decline

According to separate data from the statistics office, around 4.9 million UK residents aged 18 and over smoked cigarettes in 2025, or 9.8% of the population. This is lower than a year earlier, when the share of smokers was 10.6%, and is the lowest figure on record.

Men smoked more often than women, at 11.3% versus 8.2%. The largest decline in smoking prevalence between 2011 and 2025 was recorded among people aged 18–24, from 25.7% to 7.2%.

Justin Webb, an associate professor at London Metropolitan University, called it concerning that 1.1 million people who had never smoked reported using electronic cigarettes. According to him, vapes may help adults quit tobacco, but they are not risk-free and their long-term effects remain unclear.