Smoking rates in parts of England rise for first time since 2006, study shows

Extrapolating the study’s figures for the whole population would mean an estimated 7.5 million adults in England smoke. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

Smoking rates in parts of England have increased for the first time in nearly two decades, according to research.

Academics at University College London examined smoking data for more than 350,000 adults in England over an 18-year period. They found that while the proportion of adults who smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars or other forms of tobacco fell from 25.3% of the population in 2006 to 16.5% in 2024, progress since 2020 has flatlined and in some areas smoking rates are increasing again.