Official Statistics

Smoking profile: statistical commentary, November 2025

Published 4 November 2025

Applies to England

What’s new

New data has been added to the smoking profile tool on the Fingertips platform for:

• smoking prevalence indicators from the Annual Population Survey (APS) updated with 2024 data
• smoking prevalence indicators from the GP Patient Survey (GPPS) updated with 2024 to 2025 data
• stop smoking services indicators updated with 2024 to 2025 data

Updated indicators are available at local authority level, integrated care board (ICB) level, as well as for England, the regions and various inequality groups. Updated indicators are listed in the updated indicators section.

Introduction

The smoking prevalence figures included in this commentary are from the APS. The APS is the most widely used survey for estimating smoking prevalence in England and provides a consistent time series for smoking prevalence from 2011 onwards.

Main findings

The adult (aged 18 and over) current smoking prevalence figure for 2024 in England was 10.4%. This is a reduction from 10.9% in 2023 and continues the general downward trend observed since 2011 (19.8%).

In 2024, 12.2% of men smoked compared with 8.7% of women in England. The ratio between the sexes has remained unchanged since 2011.

The prevalence of adults who are ex-smokers in 2024 was 26.0%. The prevalence of those who have never smoked was 63.5%.

Figure 1: prevalence of current smokers (aged 18 and over), England, 2011 to 2024

Source: Annual Population Survey

Prevalence estimates from the APS are also available for 3-year periods as these provide more precise estimates for sub-national areas. For regions in England, the prevalence of current smokers in 2022 to 2024 was highest in Yorkshire and the Humber (12.0%) and lowest in the South East (9.9%). The prevalence of current smokers at district and unitary local authority level ranged from 20.8% in Boston to 3.1% in Woking. The prevalence of current smokers at ICB level ranged from 14.1% in NHS Lincolnshire ICB to 8.2% in NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB.

When districts and local authorities were ranked from most to least deprived and divided into 10 groups (deciles), the prevalence of current smokers in 2022 to 2024 was highest in the most deprived decile of areas (13.9%) and lowest in the least deprived decile (8.1%).

The prevalence of current smokers in the routine and manual occupation group (aged 18 to 64) in 2022 to 2024 was 19.2%. The odds of being a current smoker in the routine and manual group was double (2.2 times) the odds of being a current smoker in other occupational groups. The odds ratio quantifies the difference in smoking prevalence between those in routine and manual occupations and those in other occupations.

Revisions

Before 2020, the APS was conducted as a mixed mode survey (face-to-face and telephone interviews) but the method was changed to a telephone survey only during the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure survey results remained comparable with existing trend data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) introduced an adjustment factor for data collected through the telephone survey, to ensure results were representative of a face-to-face survey.

During 2021 to 2023, the survey gradually moved back to a mixed mode, with the adjustment factor remaining. Based on the 2024 results, ONS has recalculated the adjustment factor and revised all prevalence estimates between 2020 and 2023. Following these revisions, smoking profile indicators based on single year APS data between 2020 and 2023 have been revised. Indicators based on the 3-year APS for 2020 to 2022 and 2021 to 2023 will be revised in a future update.

Background and further information

The smoking profile provides information on the extent of smoking and its related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. The aim of the profile is to assess the effect of smoking on local populations. The indicators in the smoking profile were selected following consultation with stakeholders and a review of the availability of routine data. The profile is part of a series of products by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) that provide local data alongside national comparisons to support local health improvement.

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. For enquiries or feedback relating to the smoking profile, email pha-ohid@dhsc.gov.uk.

Updated indicators

The following indicators have been updated:

• smoking prevalence in adults (aged 18 and over) - current smokers (APS)
• smoking prevalence in adults (aged 18 and over) - ex-smokers (APS)
• smoking prevalence in adults (aged 18 and over) - never smokers (APS)
• smoking prevalence among adults aged 18 to 64 in routine and manual occupations (APS)
• odds of smoking among adults aged 18 to 64 with a routine and manual occupation compared with those in other occupations (APS)
• smoking prevalence in adults (aged 18 and over) - current smokers (GPPS)
• smoking prevalence in adults (aged 18 and over) - ex smoker (GPPS)
• smoking prevalence in adults (aged 18 and over) - never smoked (GPPS)
• smoking prevalence in adults with a long-term mental health condition (aged 18 and over) - current smokers (GPPS)
• odds of smoking with a long-term mental health condition compared to the odds of smoking without (GPPS)
• proportion of local smoking population who set a quit date
• proportion of those setting a quit date who successfully quit smoking
• proportion of local smoking population who successfully quit smoking
• cost per smoking quitter