Smoking rates lowest ever

In 2015, 17.2% of people aged 18 years and over in the UK smoked cigarettes. This represents a significant reduction from 20.1% in 2010 and is the lowest level on record.

Smoking’s declining popularity in England, Scotland and Wales accounts for the fall. In England, for instance, 16.9% of adults smoked cigarettes in 2015, about 3 percentage points lower than in 2010. In Scotland and Wales, 19.1% and 18.1% of adults smoked cigarettes respectively. In both countries, smoking rates have declined by more than 5 percentage points since 2010. In Northern Ireland 19.0% of adults smoked in 2015. Smoking rates in Northern Ireland have remained relatively static over recent years.