Top Stories from United Kingdom
11.8% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 6.7 million current smokers in United Kingdom
13.6% of men are current smokers but only 10.1% of women
Country profile
Data sourced:
2025.
Page updated:
2025-11-05
Smoking in United Kingdom
As of 2022, the prevalence of adult smoking in the United Kingdom was recorded at 12.9%, according to the Annual Population Survey from the Office for National Statistics. This figure represents a decrease from the 14.3% prevalence noted in 2020. Specifically, the prevalence among males was 14.6% in 2022, down from 16.2% in 2020, while among females, it stood at 11.2% in 2022, a decrease from 12.5% in 2020. The total number of current smokers in 2022 was estimated at approximately 6.4 million, showing a decline from the 7.9 million recorded in 2020. These statistics reflect ongoing efforts and public health initiatives aimed at reducing smoking rates across the UK. Regulatory measures, such as increased taxation on tobacco products and public smoking bans, have contributed to this downward trend, aligning with the broader global aim to decrease tobacco consumption as outlined by the World Health Organization.
75,848
Deaths
75,848 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in United Kingdom.
165.4 million €
Market size of NRT.
Estimated NRT market size is 165.4 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, e-cigarettes are allowed and regulated under national tobacco and nicotine product laws. However, recent legislation bans the supply, offer to supply, and possession for supply of disposable or single-use e-cigarettes. Health claims promoting e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids are permitted, provided they are evidence-based and compliant with relevant regulations. Advertising of these products is allowed but strictly regulated. E-cigarettes can be legally purchased online and are commonly available in general retail outlets. Currently, there are no excise taxes levied on e-cigarette products in the UK. The United Kingdom has a comprehensive regulatory framework around e-cigarettes. Based on that, product notifications are required before market entry, and child-resistant, tamper-proof containers are mandatory. Additionally, health warnings must appear on all packaging, and sales are restricted to individuals aged 18 years and above. E-liquids should not exceed a nicotine concentration of 20 mg/ml, and tank sizes are limited to 2 ml or less. While there are no restrictions on flavour range, the use of e-cigarettes in public places is regulated and subject to local policies.
In terms of prevalence, an estimated 4.5 million people were reported to be current vapers as of 2022. The adult current e-cigarette vaping prevalence was estimated to be 10.7% in 2024. In 2022, 7.9% of adult women and 9.5% of adult men were reported to be current e-cigarette users. Around 2.1 million adults were daily vapers as of 2020, and the adult daily vaping prevalence was estimated to be 5.2% in 2022. This was 3.5% among females and 6.4% among males. In 2020, 14.2% of adults in the UK stated that they had ever tried e-cigarettes.
Heated Tobacco Products
in United Kingdom
Advertising of HTP is allowed.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in United Kingdom
You can buy NRT in many general shops without a prescription.
Snus
in United Kingdom
Used in Scandinavia for more than 200 years, snus is providing smokers in Sweden and Norway with an alternative to combustible cigarettes. Find out what it is, and why it is considered a safer nicotine product in our briefing paper.
Pouches
in United Kingdom
Nicotine pouches are a relatively new product which can provide users of high-risk tobacco with an alternative that poses fewer risks to their health. Read more about nicotine pouches in our briefing paper
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team.
However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice.
We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product
categories can change at short notice and with little publicity.
If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region,
you should verify the information independently.
If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details
and any references and we will rectify any errors.