factsheet no:1

Smoking statistics:

Who smokes and how much

Action on Smoking and Health – March  2007

Number of adult smokers

The highest recorded level of smoking among men was 82% in 1948, when surveys started.  Among women, smoking prevalence remained fairly constant between 1948 and 1970 and peaked at 45% in 1966.  Overall prevalence among adults (aged 16 and over) fell steadily between the mid 1970s and early 1980s, faster among men than women, until there was effectively no difference between the sexes.[1]  After 1982,  the rate of decline slowed, with prevalence falling by only about one percentage point every two years until 1990, since when it  levelled out.  However, an analysis of data taken from the government’s monthly Omnibus survey demonstrated that between 1999 and 2002 there was a decline in adult smoking of around 0.4% per annum.[2] This rate of decline has continued.

There are about 10 million adult cigarette smokers in Great Britain and about the same number of ex-smokers. A further  1 million men smoke pipes and/or cigars, of whom about half smoke cigarettes as well.

Measuring smoking rates

Periodically the Government sets targets to reduce smoking prevalence in the population. The latest targets are to reduce adult smoking rates to 21% or less by 2010, with a reduction in prevalence among routine and manual groups to 26% or less. [3] However, a review of the future of the National Health Service concludes that in order to achieve optimum health outcomes, smoking rates would need to be reduced to 17% of adults by 2011. [4]

Cigarette smoking and age

Smoking prevalence is highest in the 20-24 age group for both men and women (34% and 30% respectively) but thereafter in older age groups there are progressively fewer smokers.  Smoking continues to be lowest among people aged 60 and over. Although they are more likely than younger people to have ever been smokers, they are much more likely to have stopped smoking.  Between 2004 and 2005 the only age group to record a fall in smoking prevalence was the 35-49 age group.

Prevalence of cigarette smoking by age – percentage of adult population

Number of secondary school children who smoke

Very few pupils are smokers when they start secondary school: among 11 year olds only 1% are regular smokers. The likelihood of smoking increases with age so that by age 15 20% of pupils are regular smokers.  Overall, the prevalence of regular smoking among teenagers aged 11-15 has remained stable at between 9 and 11 per cent since 1998.  Since 1982, most of the reduction in prevalence has occurred among 14 and 15 year old boys. [5]  (See also Factsheet 3 – Young People and Smoking)

Percentage of pupils who are regular smokers (at least one cigarette per week on average) England

Cigarette smoking and socio‑economic group

There is a strong link between cigarette smoking and socio‑economic group.  In 2005, 32% of men and 29% of women in routine and manual occupations smoked compared to 18% of men and 16% of women in managerial and professional occupations.  There has been a slower decline in smoking among manual groups, so that smoking has become increasingly concentrated in this population.  As in previous GHS surveys, the 2005 data revealed an association  between socio-economic group and the age at which people started to smoke.  Of those in the managerial and professional households, 31% had started smoking before they were 16, compared with 44% of those in routine and manual households.   

Prevalence of cigarette smoking by socio-economic classification based on current or last job of the household reference person.   Persons aged 16 and over. Great Britain:  2005 (%)

Tobacco consumption

Consumption of manufactured cigarettes among adult male smokers rose from 14 per day in 1949 to 19 per day in 1955, and remained at about this level until 1970 when there was an increase to 22 per day by 1973.  Among female smokers, consumption rose steadily from 7 cigarettes per day in 1949 to a maximum of 17 per day in 1976.  Since the mid 1970s cigarette consumption has fallen among both men and women.   Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking changed little during the 1990s, the GHS has shown a continuing fall in the reported number of cigarettes smoked. The fall in consumption has occurred mainly among younger smokers, whilst the number of cigarettes smoked among those aged 50 and over has changed very little since the mid 1970s.

 Daily consumption of manufactured cigarettes per smoker, 1949-2005

First cigarette of the day

Addiction to nicotine can be measured in a number of ways.  One method is to note how long after waking a person smokes their first cigarette of the day. In 2005, 16% of smokers had their first cigarette within 5 minutes of waking.  Among smokers of 20 or more cigarettes a day, 33% smoked their first cigarette of the day within 5 minutes of waking, compared to just 2% of those smoking fewer than 10 a day. 

Time between waking and first cigarette - percentage of smokers by their daily consumption – 2005

Heavy smokers are also more likely to believe that they would find it difficult not to smoke for a whole day.

Proportion of smokers who would find it difficult to go without smoking for a day by sex and number of cigarettes smoked per day – Great Britain 2005

References

Unless otherwise stated,  the above information is taken from: Smoking and drinking among adults, 2005. General Household Survey 2005,  Office for National Statistics, Nov 2006.   http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ghs