Facts at a glance Worldwide Adult smokers in the UK

Around 80% of the world's 1.3 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.2 Adult smokers in the UK In the UK, in 2022, 12.9% of adults now smoke; 14.6% of men and 11.2% of women, which equates to around 6.4 million people in the population.4 In 2022, adult smoking rates by each country in the UK were: • England: 12.7% • Wales: 14.1% • Scotland: 13.9% • Northern Ireland: 14.0% Since 2. [...] In the UK, more than 1 in 5 (22.8%) people in routine and manual occupations smoked, compared with less than 1 in 10 people (8.3%) in managerial and professional occupations. [...] In England, 10.4% of mothers were smokers at the time of delivery in 2019-20.5 Deaths attributed to smoking Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the UK. [...] Cigarette vending machines were banned in England in October 2011, in Scotland in April 2013, in Wales in February 2012 and in Northern Ireland in March 2012. [...] This entered into force in Wales in December 2012, in Northern Ireland in October 2012 and in Scotland in April 2013.