ONS puts adult vaping in Great Britain at 9.9% in 2025

Daily or occasional e-cigarette use reached an estimated 9.9% of adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics. The release, published on 6 October 2026, puts that population at about 5.4 million.

Vaping prevalence was broadly similar to 2024’s 10.0%. In the same Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN), cigarette smoking stood at 8.7% in 2025. That provides a comparison within one survey, with a consistent age threshold and geographic coverage.

A separate headline estimate puts cigarette smoking at 9.8% among UK adults aged 18 and over. It comes from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Readers should not place that figure alongside the vaping percentage as though the denominators were identical: Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland, and the surveys also use different smoking definitions.

The ONS methodology explains that these results come from sampled responses and that collection methods have changed over time. OPN moved to monthly collection in June 2024. Survey comparisons therefore require more care than simply lining up headline percentages.

For market coverage, the distinction is practical. The release measures reported behaviour, not spending, units sold or supplier revenue. It cannot establish a global vape-market valuation, or prove that a change in vaping caused a change in smoking.