More than 78 million cigarettes are smoked in Britain each day, according to our latest study into smoking trends. It’s the equivalent of around 900 cigarettes being lit every single second.

That’s especially concerning because tobacco use is still the UK’s biggest cause of cancer and preventable death. Measures like the indoor smoking ban and plain cigarette packaging have helped lower the number of people who smoke, but it’s clear there’s much more work to do.

“While great strides have been made to bring down smoking rates, we can’t afford to be complacent,” said Dr Ian Walker, our executive director of policy.

“Every week, around 550 million cigarettes are still smoked in Britain – enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. It’s vital that everyone, wherever they live, can access the support they need to quit smoking for good.”

Billions of cigarettes smoked each year

The new study, published today in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, analysed data from the Smoking Toolkit Study, an ongoing survey of cigarette use in England, Scotland and Wales.

By investigating monthly survey data from between 2022 and 2024, researchers at University College London found that almost 1 in 7 adults smoke, and that each adult who smokes consumes an average of 10.4 cigarettes each day.

Applied to the entire population, those numbers suggest that a total of 78 million cigarettes are smoked in Britain every day, adding up to 28.6 billion cigarettes every year.

The research team also uncovered important differences depending on where people live and their economic background.

People who smoke in Scotland and North East England consumed the most cigarettes on average (11.7 cigarettes a day), while those in London (8.4) and South West England (9.5) smoked the least.

Similarly, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds smoked an average of 11 cigarettes per day, compared to the 9.4 per day smoked by people in more advantaged groups.

The changes we need for a smokefree future

The governments of England, Scotland and Wales have committed to smokefree targets of less than 1 in 20 adults smoking by 2030 (England and Wales) and 2034 (Scotland). The data from this study lines up with previous projections, which suggest that all three countries are years behind where they need to be to meet those goals.

We’re pushing for changes that can make a difference as soon as possible. One of them, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, could stop younger generations of people from all backgrounds ever starting smoking. Once implemented, the Bill will ensure people born after 1 January 2009 can never legally be sold tobacco by raising age of sale restrictions by one year every year. It passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons in March and now needs to be scrutinised and debated by the House of Lords, but we’re still awaiting updates on its progress.

“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a historic opportunity to help stub out the harms of smoking, but it’s frustrating that the legislation isn’t progressing through Parliament as quickly as it should be,” said Walker.

“Tobacco is a toxic product that should have no place in our future, and I urge all parliamentarians to back a smokefree UK and prioritise this Bill when it returns to the House of Lords. This world-leading legislation has strong political and public support that can’t be ignored.”

But protecting people from starting smoking is not enough on its own. Public health campaigns and stop smoking services also need funding to help people who currently smoke to stop.

“Supporting the six million people in the UK who currently smoke cigarettes to quit will have major benefits for public health and for the environment,” said Dr Sarah Jackson, lead author of the paper and a research fellow at UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care.

“Despite declining smoking rates, over 28 billion cigarettes are still consumed in Great Britain each year, generating up to 140,000 metric tons of toxic, non-biodegradable waste annually,” said Jackson. “Reducing cigarette consumption, particularly in the most affected regions and communities, is critical not only to save lives and narrow health inequalities, but also to protect our environment from one of the most pervasive forms of plastic pollution.”