Vape Statistics 2026: The Latest UK, US and Global Data

Vaping has evolved into one of the most closely examined public-health subjects in modern healthcare policy. With millions of adults using electronic nicotine delivery systems worldwide, government health bodies actively track shifts in adult nicotine prevalence, youth experimentation, product preferences, and transition rates away from combustible tobacco.

However, finding accurate, verified data is often difficult. Competing websites frequently mix US and UK survey definitions, confuse publication dates with underlying survey years, or combine unrelated samples into misleading worldwide estimates.

This authoritative guide compiles the latest official, peer-reviewed public-health statistics for 2026. We distinguish between published data years and release dates, citing the primary sources—including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

Vape Statistics at a Glance

Before examining detailed cross-tabulations, here are the key findings from official government surveys and registered public-health registries:

These findings illustrate why vaping data should always be evaluated by country, age cohort, frequency of use, and device category rather than compressed into a single worldwide figure.

UK Vaping Statistics 2026

The latest official Office for National Statistics (ONS) release, published on 6 October 2026, reports on vaping habits for 2025.

According to the ONS, approximately 5.4 million people aged 16 and over in Great Britain used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025. This represents 9.9% of the population covered by the survey.

The figure was broadly similar to the 5.4 million users reported in 2024, confirming that while prevalence surged between 2020 and 2023 driven by disposable convenience, overall UK adult adoption has now stabilized at approximately 1 in 10 adults.

Vaping Rates by Age Group

Age is the primary demographic factor influencing e-cigarette usage in Great Britain. The ONS identified that individuals aged 25–34 had the highest rate of daily or occasional e-cigarette use in Great Britain at 16.4% (up from 12.9% in 2024).

Use the interactive chart below to explore prevalence across age brackets in real-time, toggle between daily and occasional consumption, or view estimated population totals:

Vaping Prevalence Compared with Cigarette Smoking

The ONS reported that approximately 5.4 million adults in Great Britain used e-cigarettes in 2025. In its parallel UK smoking estimates, approximately 4.9 million adults aged 18 and over smoked combustible cigarettes (an all-time low smoking prevalence of ~11.6%).

For the second year running, the estimated number of vapers in Great Britain exceeds the number of combustible tobacco smokers. This represents a historic transition in British nicotine consumption over the past decade.

However, public health bodies highlight two vital caveats:

1. Distinct Survey Baselines: Smoking figures cover the full UK (including Northern Ireland, age 18+), while vaping estimates cover Great Britain (age 16+).
2. Causation vs Association: While smoking rates have fallen to historic lows alongside rising vape use, aggregate population figures alone do not prove that one trend directly caused the other without controlled cessation studies.

US Vaping Statistics 2026

The United States provides an invaluable comparative perspective on electronic nicotine delivery systems due to rigorous federal reporting by the CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

How Many US Adults Vape?

According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, 7.0% of adults aged 18 and over used e-cigarettes in 2024. This figure originates from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) analysis published in March 2026.

Notably, US adult vaping varies significantly by geographic density:

• Large central metropolitan counties: 6.1% adult prevalence.
• Medium and small metropolitan counties: 7.4% adult prevalence.
• Nonmetropolitan (rural) counties: 9.2% adult prevalence.

Global Vaping Trends & International Research Insights

Compiling an exact worldwide vaping count is fundamentally constrained by international variations in methodology. Unlike combustible cigarette tracking, which has standardized under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) over decades, e-cigarette surveillance differs vastly across jurisdictions:

• Age Cut-Offs: The UK ONS tracks ages 16+, US NHIS tracks 18+, while Australian and Canadian studies often track 14+ or 15+.
• Usage Definitions: Some studies define prevalence as "any use in the last 30 days," while others require "daily or weekly habitual use."
• Product Classifications: Heated tobacco products (HTPs), closed prefilled pods, and open refillable systems are classified together in some countries but regulated separately in the UK under the UK Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR).

The World Health Organization publishes continuous technical briefs monitoring nicotine exposure, public-health risks, and youth prevention policies across its 194 member states. For genuine academic and policy accuracy, researchers should analyze nation-by-nation datasets rather than merging disparate numbers into a speculative global aggregate.

Disposable Vape Statistics & Retail Trends

Single-use disposable e-cigarettes have dominated retail and environmental discussions across both sides of the Atlantic.

In the United States, CDC retail scanner data tracking brick-and-mortar sales revealed that disposable e-cigarettes accounted for 58.1% of all measured unit sales in June 2024. Furthermore, non-tobacco flavours (such as fruit, confectionery, and menthol) accounted for 80.6% of measured sales.

In the United Kingdom, environmental concerns surrounding lithium battery waste and youth appeal have precipitated major legislative changes. Under upcoming environmental legislation, the UK government has targeted single-use disposable devices, accelerating consumer migration toward reusable prefilled pod kits and refillable systems.

For UK vapers looking to dispose of existing hardware responsibly, review our detailed guide on how to dispose of vapes in the UK (the right way).

Smoking Cessation & Harm Reduction Evidence (ASH Survey)

Public-health research on vaping focuses primarily on harm reduction: assessing the degree of relative risk when an adult smoker transitions away from combustible tobacco.

According to the 2026 Great Britain survey by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH):

• 60% of UK adult vapers (approx 3.3 million people) are former smokers who have quit cigarettes completely.
• 33% of UK adult vapers (approx 1.8 million people) are dual users who continue to smoke while vaping.
• 7% of UK adult vapers (approx 380,000 people) have never smoked cigarettes regularly.

NHS guidance and evidence reviews from the UK Health Security Agency maintain that while vaping is not completely risk-free and non-smokers should not start, nicotine vaping poses only a fraction of the risk of smoking combustible tobacco.

For adult smokers seeking to calculate their transition, selecting the correct nicotine level is critical to avoid under-satisfaction or relapse. See our comprehensive guide on what nicotine strength you should use.

Vaping Statistics vs Smoking Statistics: Measuring Differences

A frequent error in media coverage is conflating smoking and vaping terminology. Epidemiologists measure these behaviours using distinct survey constructs:

Frequently Asked Questions About Vape Statistics

Primary Sources and Methodology

To preserve academic transparency and editorial integrity, this pillar article is derived entirely from verified public-health institutions:

• Office for National Statistics (ONS): Adult smoking habits in Great Britain: 2025 (Released October 2026).
• US National Center for Health Statistics: Cigarette and Electronic Cigarette Use Among Adults by Urbanization Level: United States, 2024 (CDC Report 115, March 2026).
• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) & CDC: Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) 2025.
• Action on Smoking and Health (ASH): Use of vapes and other novel tobacco and nicotine products among adults in Great Britain, 2026 Survey.
• World Health Organization (WHO): Electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes): global advocacy brief and regulatory monitoring, 2026.

Editorial Notice: This page is actively monitored by the Vapeslane research desk. All figures will be updated when subsequent annual ONS, CDC, or FDA datasets are released. Last reviewed: October 2026.