Smoking
The proportion of adults who smoke has fallen, from 27% in 1993 to 16% in 2019. And smoking habits among those who smoke are changing, too, with the average (median) number of cigarettes smoked per day falling from 15 to 10. There has also been a clear decline in the proportion of children who have ever smoked, with a decrease of 15 percentage points since 1997.
Adult smokers
Source: NHS Digital
Base: Adults aged 16 and over
Notes: The smoking ban came into force in July 2007, making workplaces and enclosed public spaces smoke-free.
Year-on-year fluctuations may not indicate real changes and can be within the margins of sampling error. We comment only on the changes that are more likely to reflect a real change.
Average number of cigarettes smoked per day
Source: NHS Digital
Base: Adults aged 16 and over who smoke cigarettes
Notes: Tobacco has become less affordable over time. Between 2008 and 2018 the price of tobacco increased by 50% relative to retail prices whilst real households’ disposable income (adjusted) increased by 5% over the same period. For more details see here.
Year-on-year fluctuations may not indicate real changes and can be within the margins of sampling error. We comment only on the changes that are more likely to reflect a real change.