Local tobacco control profiles for England: statistical commentary, December 2022 update
Published 6 December 2022
Applies to England
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1. New in this update
New smoking prevalence data has been added to the local tobacco control profiles on the fingertips platform. The following indicators have been updated and are available at local authority level, integrated care board level, as well as for England, the regions, and various inequality groups:
- smoking prevalence in adults (18+) – current smokers (APS)
- smoking prevalence in adults (18+) – ex-smokers (APS)
- smoking prevalence in adults (18+) – never smokers (APS)
- smoking prevalence among adults aged 18 to 64 in routine and manual occupations (APS) (2020 refresh)
- odds of smoking among adults aged 18 to 64 in routine and manual occupations compared with those in other occupations (APS) (2020 refresh)
2. Main findings
Adult smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13.0%. 14.9% of men smoked compared to 11.2% of women in England. This pattern has been consistent since 2011.
The prevalence of current smokers was highest in the North-east (14.8%) and lowest in the London region (11.5%). These were statistically significantly different from the England average (13.0%).
The prevalence of current smokers in the routine and manual occupation group (18 to 64) for 2020 was 24.5%. The odds of being a current smoker in the routine and manual group is 2.22 times higher than the odds of being a current smoker in other occupational groups.
3. Key definitions used in this release
Odds ratio – the odds of smoking among adults in routine and manual occupations compared with those not in routine and manual occupations (presented as an odds ratio). The odds ratio quantifies the difference in smoking prevalence between those in routine and manual occupations and those in other occupational groups. An odds ratio higher than 1 means the prevalence is higher among those in routine and manual occupations than those who are not.
4. Background
The smoking prevalence figures included in this update for 2021 are from the Annual Population Survey (APS). The APS is the most widely used survey for estimating smoking prevalence in England due to its large sample size and frequency (around 175,000 people in England per year). The APS is designated as a National Statistic and has provided a consistent time series of data for smoking prevalence.
As noted in our release last year, the change in the mode of data collection for the APS, introduced at the end of March 2020, affected the comparability of these smoking prevalence estimates with previous years. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, data collection for the APS moved from mixed-mode (face-to-face and telephone) to telephone only data collection. This resulted in a potential bias in the sample and meant the estimates for April to December 2020 were not comparable with previous years. To improve the comparability of APS smoking prevalence estimates for 2020 and 2021, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have updated the weighting methodology to remove the effect of the mode change. Adjusted figures for 2020 and 2021 are now comparable with previous years. Previously published figures for 2020 in the local tobacco control profiles have been revised accordingly. For more information on the revised weighting methodology, please see ONS’s Adult Smoking Habits in the UK publication, particularly section 7.
This is the first update of the local tobacco control profiles for England to include data for the integrated care board (ICB) geography.
5. Summary of updated indictors
5.1 Smoking prevalence (APS)
The current adult (18+) smoking prevalence figure for 2021 in England was 13.0%. This a reduction from 13.8% in 2020 and continues the general downward trend observed since 2011 (19.8%). In 2021, 14.9% of men smoked compared with 11.2% of women in England. This trend has been consistent since 2011. The prevalence of ex-smoking among adults (18+) in 2021 was (25.7%) and of those who have never smoked was (61.3%).
Figure 1: Prevalence of current smokers (18+), England, 2011 to 2021
Source: Annual Population Survey
The prevalence of current smokers in 2021 was highest in the North-east (14.8%) and lowest in the London region (11.5%). These were statistically significantly different from the England average (13.0%). The prevalence of current smokers at lower tier local authority level varied from 27.8% in Fenland to 3.2% in Oadby and Wigston. The prevalence of current smokers at integrated care board level varied from 16.1% in NHS South Yorkshire ICB to 8.0% in NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB.
Figure 2: Prevalence of current smokers (18+), region, 2021
| Area | Value |
|---|---|
| England | 13.0 |
| North-east region | 14.8 |
| North-west region | 14.4 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber region | 14.1 |
| West Midlands region | 13.8 |
| East Midlands region | 13.4 |
| East of England region | 12.9 |
| South-west region | 12.6 |
| South-east region | 11.9 |
| London region | 11.5 |
Confidence intervals (CIs) for the data given in figure 2, above, are as follows:
| Area | 95% – lower CI | 95% – upper CI |
|---|---|---|
| England | 12.7 | 13.3 |
| North-east region | 13.7 | 15.8 |
| North-west region | 13.6 | 15.2 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber region | 13.2 | 15.0 |
| West Midlands region | 12.9 | 14.7 |
| East Midlands region | 12.4 | 14.5 |
| East of England region | 12.0 | 13.9 |
| South-west region | 11.8 | 13.4 |
| South-east region | 11.2 | 12.6 |
| London region | 10.6 | 12.3 |
Source: Annual Population Survey.
The prevalence of current smokers in 2021 was highest in the most deprived district and unitary authority decile (16.4%) and lowest in the least deprived decile (9.1%).
The prevalence of current smokers in the routine and manual occupation group (18-64) in 2020 was 24.5%. The odds of being a current smoker in the routine and manual group is 2.22 times higher than the odds of being in a current smoker in other occupational groups.
6. Background and further information
The local tobacco control profiles for England provides a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. These profiles have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations. They will inform commissioning and planning decisions to tackle tobacco use and improve the health of local communities.
The tool allows you to compare your local authority against other local authorities in the region and benchmark your local authority against the England or regional average.
View the LTCP Profile
Responsible statistician, product lead: Mark Cook