The ONS statistics show around 4.9m people aged 18 years and over (9.8%) smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2025, down from 10.6% in 2024.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health said: ‘This is really encouraging progress and shows what can be achieved through sustained action to reduce smoking.'

For the second year running, the number of people vaping (5.4m; 9.9%) outnumbered those smoking. The number and rate of people using vapes was similar to 2024. (5.4m; 10%).

Scotland had the highest rate of smokers (11.4%) followed by Wales (11.1%), Northern Ireland (9.9%) and England (9.5%).

Fenland and Kingston upon Hull were the local authorities with the highest smoking rates (18.7% and 18.5%, respectively) with the lowest rates in Woking and Epsom and Ewell (4.5% and 4.3%).

People aged 45 to 54 were most likely to smoke (12.4%) with those aged 18 to 24 least likely (7.2%).

The unemployed and people with no qualifications were most likely to smoke (16.5% and 24.8%, respectively).

From 29 October 2026, it becomes an offence to sell any vaping product or nicotine product, including nicotine pouches and zero nicotine vapes, to anyone under 18.

It will be illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, from 1 January 2027.

Cheeseman added: ‘The Government has delivered historic legislation to create a smoke-free generation, but it will take time for this to have its full effect. The last Government set a target to reduce smoking to 5% by 2030. Despite the progress we are seeing, it is now unlikely that this ambition will be met.

‘The Government now needs to set a new, ambitious goal for reducing smoking, backed by a clear plan to support the 4.9m people who still smoke to quit, in every community. Today's data also shows that inequalities between areas persist, despite the progress made.

‘Smoking has fallen enormously over recent decades, but it remains the biggest driver of preventable death in the UK. Now is the time to finish the job.'

Kruti Shrotri, Cancer Research UK's prevention policy lead, said: ‘While a continued fall in smoking rates is encouraging, tobacco remains the leading cause of cancer in the UK. Today's data shows that millions of people still smoke and stark inequalities persist across the UK – it's vital that everyone can access support to quit for good. Although we don't know the long-term risks of vaping, evidence so far shows that legal vapes are less harmful than tobacco and an effective tool to stop smoking.'