More than ۱ million people in Great Britain now vape despite never having been regular smokers, with rates nearly doubling in just four years, according to figures that health experts describe as concerning.
About ۵.۴ million people aged ۱۶ and above in England, Scotland and Wales (۹.۹%) used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in ۲۰۲۵, Office for National Statistics data showed. Vaping was highest among those aged ۲۵-۳۴ (۱۶.۴%).
However, the ONS also found about ۲.۹% (۱.۱ million) of Britons who had never smoked cigarettes reported using an e-cigarette daily or occasionally.
The proportion of never-smokers now vaping has increased sharply, almost doubling, since ۲۰۲۱, when ۱.۵% of people who had never smoked reported that they currently used e-cigarettes.
Estimates published in the Lancet Public Health journal in ۲۰۲۴ suggested there were ۱,۰۰۶,۰۰۰ people in England who vaped despite never having smoked.
But the data published on Tuesday was the first time official ONS figures have confirmed that the figure for England, Scotland and Wales had topped ۱ million. The ۲۰۲۵ figure for Great Britain (۱.۱ million) was up from ۹۴۰,۰۰۰ in ۲۰۲۴, the ONS said.
Justin Webb, an associate professor of physical activity and health at London Metropolitan University, said it was “somewhat concerning that ۱.۱ million people who have never smoked reported using an e-cigarette”.
He added: “Vapes can help adults stop smoking, but they are not risk-free and their full long-term effects remain unclear. We need to preserve their value as a quitting aid while strengthening protection against uptake among children and non-smokers.”
The ONS data showed ۲۵-۳۴ was the only age group in which there was a rise in e-cigarette use, increasing from ۱۲.۹% in ۲۰۲۴ to ۱۶.۴% in ۲۰۲۵.
That made the age group the most common users of e-cogarettes in the UK, overtaking ۱۶ to ۲۴-year-olds, who were the most common users between ۲۰۲۱ and ۲۰۲۴.
Meanwhile, separate ONS figures covering all four nations of the UK showed about ۴.۹ million people aged ۱۸ and over (۹.۸% of the population) smoked cigarettes in ۲۰۲۵. This was a decrease from ۲۰۲۴ (۱۰.۶%) and continues a long-term downward trend.
David Mais, from the ONS, said: “Fewer than one in ۱۰ adults now smoke. This is the lowest proportion on record and continues the long-term decline in smoking.
“At the same time, e-cigarette use remains more common than smoking and has followed an overall upward trend since ۲۰۲۰.
“E-cigarette users are also getting older, with those aged ۲۵ to ۳۴ now overtaking ۱۶- to ۲۴-year-olds as the age group most likely to use them. This may reflect existing users getting older, growing popularity among this age group or a combination of both.”
When it comes to smoking, men were more likely to smoke than women in the UK in ۲۰۲۵, continuing a trend observed in previous years. About ۲.۸ million men (۱۱.۳%) and ۲.۱m women (۸.۲%) were thought to be current smokers.
The largest reduction in smoking prevalence between ۲۰۱۱ and ۲۰۲۵ was among the ۱۸-۲۴ age group, from ۲۵.۷% to ۷.۲%, the ONS found.
Hazel Cheeseman, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “For the first time, fewer than one in ۱۰ people in the UK smoke. This is really encouraging progress and shows what can be achieved through sustained action to reduce smoking.”
