60+ Vaping Statistics & Facts: How Many People Vape?

Vaping Statistics & Facts

• According to a survey conducted in 2021, approximately 41 million people in the world were estimated to be regular vapers.
• Vaping has gained popularity among young adults, with approximately 21% of individuals aged 18 to 24 reporting regular e-cigarette use.
• The United States has the highest number of vapers, with an estimated 9 million adults using e-cigarettes regularly.
• Approximately 55% of vapers in the United States are between the ages of 18 and 34.
• Vaping is more prevalent among men, with approximately 17% of adult males and 9% of adult females reporting regular e-cigarette use.
• The global vaping market was valued at $19.3 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $45.4 billion by 2027.
• In 2021, the global e-liquid market was estimated to be worth around $6.6 billion.
• The majority of vapers are former or current smokers who use e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative to traditional tobacco products.
• Among teenagers in the United States, 19.6% reported past-month e-cigarette use in 2021.
• The use of e-cigarettes among high school students in the United States increased by 78% between 2017 and 2018.
• Vaping rates among middle and high school students in the United States peaked in 2019 at 27.5%.
• As of 2021, e-cigarette use was more prevalent among white and Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States compared to Black adults.
• Among young adults aged 18 to 24 in the United States, 19.5% reported regular e-cigarette use in 2021.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2,807 hospitalized cases of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) in the United States as of February 2020.
• In 2019, there were 68 reported deaths in the United States associated with vaping-related lung injury.

Vaping Statistics & Facts in United Kingdom

• In 2021, an estimated 3.2 million adults in the UK were regular vapers.
• Vaping is more prevalent among younger adults in the UK, with approximately 14% of individuals aged 16 to 24 reporting regular e-cigarette use.
• According to the 2021 Smoking, Drinking, and Drug Use among Young People in England survey, 15% of 11 to 15-year-olds in England reported ever having used an e-cigarette.
• The use of e-cigarettes among young people in the UK has been declining in recent years. In 2019, 16% of 11 to 18-year-olds reported having ever tried vaping, compared to 19% in 2018.
• Among adults in the UK who vape, approximately 58% are current or former smokers using e-cigarettes as an alternative to traditional tobacco products.
• The vaping market in the UK was valued at £2.5 billion in 2020.
• Flavored e-cigarettes are popular among vapers in the UK, with fruit, menthol, and tobacco flavors being the most commonly used.
• Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of the UK Department of Health and Social Care, maintains that e-cigarettes are at least 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
• PHE encourages smokers to consider switching to e-cigarettes as a way to reduce the harms associated with smoking.
• In the UK, e-cigarettes and e-liquids are regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
• The regulations restrict the advertising, packaging, and sale of e-cigarettes and related products.
• E-cigarette advertising is prohibited on television, radio, and print media aimed at young people.
• The UK has implemented packaging regulations that require warning labels on e-cigarette products.
• As of May 2021, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are limited to a maximum nicotine concentration of 20mg/ml in the UK.
• The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved some e-cigarettes as medicinal products for smoking cessation purposes.
• The British Medical Association (BMA) supports the use of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction tool for smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit using other methods.
• According to a survey conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in 2020, 51% of smokers in the UK believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking.
• The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK provides support and resources to help smokers quit, including information on using e-cigarettes as a quitting aid.
• The UK government has set a goal to become a smoke-free nation by 2030, which includes encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives like e-cigarettes.
• In the UK, there have been relatively fewer cases of vaping-related lung injuries compared to the United States, which experienced an outbreak of EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) in 2019.

Vaping Facts by Age

Adolescents and Young Adults

• In the United States, 19.6% of teenagers reported past-month e-cigarette use in 2021.
• Among high school students in the United States, e-cigarette use increased by 78% between 2017 and 2018.
• The use of e-cigarettes among college students in the United States increased from 5.2% in 2017 to 7.6% in 2020.
• In the United Kingdom, approximately 14% of individuals aged 16 to 24 reported regular e-cigarette use.
• The popularity of vaping among young people has raised concerns about nicotine addiction and long-term health effects.

Adults

• The majority of vapers are former or current smokers who use e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative to traditional tobacco products.
• In the United States, approximately 17% of adult males and 9% of adult females reported regular e-cigarette use.
• The United States has the highest number of adult vapers, with an estimated 9 million adults using e-cigarettes regularly.
• In the United Kingdom, around 3.2 million adults were estimated to be regular vapers.
• Vaping rates among adults vary by country, with different regulatory environments and smoking prevalence influencing the numbers.

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Teen Vaping Statistics & Facts

• According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) conducted in 2020, approximately 19.6% of high school students in the United States reported current e-cigarette use. This represents a significant proportion of teenagers who have tried or currently use e-cigarettes.
• Flavored e-cigarettes were popular among teenagers, and they were a significant factor in driving youth vaping. According to the NYTS in 2020, among high school e-cigarette users, 83.8% reported using flavored e-cigarettes.
• In the U.S., JUUL was one of the most commonly used e-cigarette brands among teenagers. At its peak in 2019, it accounted for a significant share of the e-cigarette market.
• Several factors contributed to teen vaping, including peer influence, curiosity, appealing flavors, and aggressive marketing strategies targeted at youth.
• Teenagers who vape are at risk of developing nicotine addiction, which can lead to long-term health issues and can also act as a gateway to smoking traditional cigarettes.

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Vaping Statistics & Facts in Asia

Japan

• In Japan, the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products containing nicotine is prohibited. However, the sale of non-nicotine e-cigarettes is allowed.
• The prevalence of vaping in Japan is relatively low compared to other countries.

South Korea

• Vaping is not widely prevalent in South Korea, and the use of e-cigarettes containing nicotine is illegal.
• The South Korean government has implemented strict regulations on vaping products.

China

• China is the largest producer of e-cigarettes globally, but vaping prevalence among the general population is relatively low.
• Vaping in China is primarily focused on export, and domestic consumption is limited compared to other countries.

India

• In India, the sale, production, import, and distribution of e-cigarettes and vaping products are banned nationwide.
• Vaping prevalence in India is significantly lower compared to other countries due to the legal restrictions.

Philippines

• Vaping is relatively popular in the Philippines, especially among young adults.
• According to a survey in 2019, 3.9% of Filipinos aged 18 and above reported using e-cigarettes.

Indonesia

• Vaping prevalence is relatively high in Indonesia, and it has become a popular alternative to smoking.
• However, there is limited official data available on vaping prevalence in the country.

When do People Start to Vape?

According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in the United States in 2020, the most recent data available, the average age of initiation for e-cigarette use among current youth e-cigarette users was 14.5 years.

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Vaping vs. Smoking Statistics

General Usage

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, in 2020, approximately 14.0% of adults (34.1 million) were current cigarette smokers, while about 3.6% of adults (8.9 million) were current e-cigarette users (vapers).

Health Risks

• Smoking: Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable diseases and premature death. It has been linked to various health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory disorders, and stroke. It is estimated to be responsible for around 480,000 deaths annually in the United States.
• Vaping: While e-cigarettes are generally considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes, they are not risk-free. The long-term health effects of vaping are still being studied. However, cases of severe lung injury associated with vaping have been reported, with some leading to fatalities. The CDC has named this condition EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury).

Youth Usage

• Smoking: According to the CDC, in 2020, approximately 4.6% of middle school students and 14.0% of high school students in the United States reported being current cigarette smokers.
• Vaping: In 2020, about 4.7% of middle school students and 19.6% of high school students reported current e-cigarette use, as per the CDC.

Death Rates Related to Vaping Statistics

EVALI Outbreak

• In 2019, the United States experienced an outbreak of EVALI, which was linked to the use of vaping products. The outbreak raised significant concerns about the safety of vaping and led to increased scrutiny of e-cigarette products.

Reported Deaths

• As of February 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 2,807 hospitalized EVALI cases and 68 confirmed deaths across 29 states and the District of Columbia.

Underlying Causes

• The exact cause of EVALI remains under investigation, but it is believed to be associated with the inhalation of harmful substances or chemicals present in some vaping products. Specifically, vitamin E acetate, an additive used in some THC-containing vaping products, has been linked to the lung injuries.