Statistics on Smoking

In 2019, 15.8% of people in Great Britain smoked cigarettes: 17.9% of men and 13.8% of women were regular smokers.

The proportion of adults who have never smoked cigarettes has increased over time, from 25% of men and 49% of women in 1974 to 56% and 64% respectively in 2019.

Smoking prevalence in 2019 was higher in Northern Ireland (15.6%) than in other constituent countries of Great Britain. The English region of Yorkshire and the Humber has the highest prevalence (15.7%)

In England, in 2018, 2% of school children aged 11-15 smoked at least once a week and in Scotland 2% of 13 year olds and 7% of 15 year olds did so.

An estimated 5.7% of those aged 16 and over in Great Britain were e-cigarette users in 2019.

In 2017/18, 16% of all deaths in people aged 35 or over in England – 77,800 deaths – were estimated as being attributable to smoking, while it was estimated to be the cause of around 9,360 deaths per year in Scotland.

In 2017/18 an estimated 444,000 hospital admissions in England were directly attributable to smoking, representing 4% of all hospital admissions.