The proportion of women aged 25 to 34 who use e-cigarettes in Great Britain reached 18.3% in 2025, up from 13.7% in 2024, according to newly published figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The rate was higher than the 14.4% recorded among men in the same age group and represented the highest estimate for women aged 25 to 34 since the data series began in 2014.
The figures highlight a notable shift in the demographic profile of adult vaping. Although men still had a slightly higher overall vaping rate than women, women aged 25 to 34 reported more e-cigarette use than men of the same age.
The latest demographic findings add further context to the UK’s changing vaping landscape, where new ONS data on vaping prevalence highlight differences across age and sex groups.
Key Findings From the 2025 ONS Vaping Data
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18.3%: Vaping prevalence among women aged 25–34.
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14.4%: Vaping prevalence among men in the same age group.
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16.4%: Overall vaping prevalence among adults aged 25–34.
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9.6% vs. 10.2%: Overall vaping rates among women and men aged 16 and over, respectively.
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5.4 million: Estimated number of adults in Great Britain who used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025.
Women’s Vaping Rate Climbs Over the Past Decade
The ONS figures show a substantial long-term increase in vaping among women aged 25 to 34. In 2014, the estimated rate stood at 5.4%. After fluctuating during the following years, it rose to 10.5% in 2019 before falling to 8.3% in 2020.
The rate subsequently increased, reaching 10.4% in 2023 and 13.7% in 2024. By 2025, it had climbed to 18.3%, an increase of 4.6 percentage points in one year.
This trend does not mean that every year saw consistent growth. The figures instead show a series of fluctuations followed by a pronounced rise in the latest estimate. The ONS also advises care when comparing survey results across years because collection methods and some questions about vaping have changed.
Women Aged 25–34 Report Higher Vaping Rates Than Men
The gender difference varies considerably by age. Across all adults aged 16 and over, 9.6% of women reported current e-cigarette use in 2025, compared with 10.2% of men.
Among adults aged 25 to 34, however, the pattern was reversed: the female rate reached 18.3%, while the male rate was 14.4%. The estimates suggest that vaping behavior differs across demographic groups rather than following one consistent pattern among men and women.
However, these are survey estimates, not exact counts of every person who vapes. The published confidence intervals overlap, so the figures alone do not establish that the underlying vaping rate among women aged 25 to 34 was statistically significantly higher than that among men.
Adults Aged 25–34 Become the UK’s Most Likely Age Group to Vape
The increase among women aged 25 to 34 coincided with a broader shift in the age groups reporting the highest vaping prevalence.
In 2025, 16.4% of adults aged 25 to 34 used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally, compared with 12.9% of those aged 16 to 24. The younger group had held the highest rate from 2021 through 2024, but the latest ONS figures show that the 25-to-34 age group moved into first place.
This change does not prove that younger users have switched to vaping as they grow older. The ONS survey captures population-level patterns at different points in time; it does not follow the same individuals throughout their lives.
These demographic changes are taking place alongside wider policy developments, making it useful to understand the UK’s vaping legislation and regulations for 2026.
Overall Vaping Levels Remain Broadly Stable
Despite the increase among women aged 25 to 34, vaping across Great Britain remained broadly stable overall. The ONS estimated that approximately 5.4 million adults aged 16 and over used e-cigarettes in 2025, representing 9.9% of this population, compared with 10.0% in 2024.
The contrast between the overall rate and the increase in a specific age-and-sex group shows why headline national figures do not tell the whole story. Some demographic groups can experience rising vaping prevalence even when the total adult rate changes very little.
The data do not explain why the rate increased among women aged 25 to 34. They cannot, on their own, establish the influence of product design, flavors, advertising, retail availability or individual motivations.
To understand how regulation is reshaping the products available to adult consumers, read our guide to vaping products that remain available following the UK disposable vape ban.
What the Latest Figures Tell Us
The 2025 ONS data identify women aged 25 to 34 as a particularly notable group in Great Britain’s vaping statistics. Their estimated vaping prevalence reached 18.3%, while adults aged 25 to 34 as a whole recorded the highest rate among the age groups measured.
These findings describe patterns of reported e-cigarette use; they do not establish the reasons behind those patterns or determine the health effects of vaping. They also cover Great Britain—England, Scotland and Wales—not Northern Ireland.
For readers following changes in the UK vaping market, the next step is to monitor whether these demographic differences persist in future ONS releases and to interpret annual changes alongside the survey’s confidence intervals and methodology.