Former Smokers Make Up Largest Share of UK Vapers, Analysis Finds
An analysis of 2025 ONS figures estimates that 54% of adult vapers in Great Britain previously smoked cigarettes, while 26% also currently smoke and 20% never smoked regularly. Former smokers accounted for roughly 2.9 million vapers, dual users about 1.42 million, and never-smokers around 1.05 million. The report notes that these shares describe the makeup of the vaping population, not the vaping rate within each smoking-history group.
The 2025 estimates put Great Britain’s adult vaping population at about 5.38 million. Former cigarette smokers were the biggest subgroup, at roughly 2.9 million, followed by people who both vape and smoke, at about 1.42 million. Those who never regularly smoked made up about 1.05 million.
ONS figures show the share of former smokers who vaped daily or sometimes was 20.7% in 2025, nearly unchanged from 20.8% a year earlier. Among current cigarette smokers, 33.8% reported vaping daily or sometimes, up from 32.8% in 2024. The analysis stresses that group shares and within-group vaping rates measure different things.
These findings may shape how public health messaging, businesses and policymakers view vaping. Adults with smoking histories could be most directly affected, especially former smokers and those who both smoke and vape. Clearer distinctions between population makeup and individual vaping rates may help avoid misleading conclusions about who vapes and why. For consumers, the data could inform perceptions of e-cigarettes as either cessation aids or continuing nicotine use, though the analysis cannot explain individual motives or health outcomes