Smoking prevalence by sex in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Smoking prevalence by sex was 12.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
12.0%
Change on year
down 29.4%
World rank
27th
of 29 countries
All-time high
33.0%
in 2006
All-time low
12.0%
in 2020
Years of data
6
2006–2020

Smoking prevalence by sex in United Kingdom, 2006–2020

01020302006201320202006: 33 Percentage of total population2009: 28 Percentage of total population2012: 27 Percentage of total population2014: 22 Percentage of total population2017: 17 Percentage of total population2020: 12 Percentage of total population

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage of total population.

Analysis

In 2020, smoking prevalence by sex in United Kingdom stood at 12.0%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.4% on the previous year and down 57.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, smoking prevalence by sex in United Kingdom peaked at 33.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 2020.

United Kingdom ranks 27th of 29 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 30.5% 28.0% 33.0% 2
2010s 22.0% 17.0% 27.0% 3
2020s 12.0% 12.0% 12.0% 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 24 Ireland 16.0% compare
  2. 25 Finland 15.0% compare
  3. 26 Denmark 14.0% compare
  4. 28 Netherlands 11.0% compare
  5. 29 Sweden 8.0% compare

See the full ranking of 30 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is smoking prevalence by sex in United Kingdom?
Smoking prevalence by sex in United Kingdom was 12.0% in 2020, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest smoking prevalence by sex recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 33.0% in 2006.
What is the lowest smoking prevalence by sex recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 2020.
How does United Kingdom rank for smoking prevalence by sex?
United Kingdom ranks 27th out of 29 countries with data for 2020.
Is smoking prevalence by sex rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Smoking prevalence by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).

About this data

Indicator
Smoking prevalence by sex
Unit
Percentage of total population
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
30 places, 207 data points, 2006–2023
Last refreshed