At a glance
Adult vaping statistics show a market that has moved upward again after a brief dip, with U.S. adult e-cigarette use rising from 4.5% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
That overall increase hides important differences by age, sex, race and geography. Some groups moved sharply higher, while others stayed relatively low but still showed gradual growth.
Fast facts
- Adult e-cigarette use was 4.5% in 2019, 3.7% in 2020, 4.5% in 2021, 6.0% in 2022, and 6.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- In 2024, 7.0% of all U.S. adults used e-cigarettes (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
- Adult use was highest among adults ages 21-24 at 15.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Adult use was lowest among adults ages 65 and older at 0.9% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- In 2024, adults in nonmetropolitan counties had the highest prevalence at 9.2% (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
Table of contents
- Adult vaping statistics trend
- Demographic differences
- Geography and community type
- Sales and product mix
- What the adult vaping statistics say about the market
Adult vaping statistics trend
The strongest pattern in the data is not a straight line. Adult e-cigarette use dipped in 2020, then climbed steadily through 2023 and reached an even higher level in the 2024 estimate.
Key trend: adult e-cigarette use increased by 2.0 percentage points from 4.5% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
Year-by-year prevalence
| Year | U.S. adult e-cigarette use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4.5% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 2020 | 3.7% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 2021 | 4.5% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 2022 | 6.0% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 2023 | 6.5% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
That table matters because it shows the shape of the market more clearly than a single annual figure. The low point in 2020 was followed by a rebound in 2021, then a more noticeable climb in 2022 and 2023.
Big number
6.5% is the 2023 adult e-cigarette use figure in the CDC series (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524). That is the highest value in the 2019-2023 sequence provided here.
The 2024 estimate is even higher at 7.0% of all U.S. adults (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024). Taken together, those figures suggest that adult vaping remained on an upward track into 2024.
Demographic differences
Adult vaping statistics become much more useful when the population is split by sex, age and race. The headline rate is only part of the story; the spread between groups is wide.
Sex
Adult men used e-cigarettes at 5.5% in 2019 and 7.6% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
Adult women used e-cigarettes at 3.5% in 2019 and 5.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
That means both groups moved upward, but men stayed ahead of women in both years. The gap was 2.0 percentage points in 2019 and 2.1 points in 2023.
Age
Age is the clearest driver of variation in the dataset. Younger adults consistently show the highest prevalence, while older adults remain far lower.
| Age group | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-20 | 8.1% | 10.3% | +2.2 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 21-24 | 10.1% | 15.5% | +5.4 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 25-34 | 7.4% | 12.6% | +5.2 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 35-49 | 4.9% | 7.3% | +2.4 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 50-64 | 2.7% | 3.3% | +0.6 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| 65 and older | 0.8% | 0.9% | +0.1 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
The strongest concentration sits in the young-adult ages:
- Adults ages 21-24 were highest at 15.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Adults ages 25-34 followed at 12.6% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Adults ages 18-20 reached 10.3% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
That pattern makes the age gradient obvious. The figures decline as age rises, and the drop becomes especially sharp after age 35.
Race and ethnicity
Race and ethnicity also show meaningful differences, both in level and in change over time.
| Group | 2019 | 2023 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Asian adults | 2.7% | 3.4% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| Non-Hispanic Black adults | 3.4% | 5.7% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| Non-Hispanic White adults | 5.1% | 7.5% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| Other and multiple-race non-Hispanic adults | 7.7% | 8.0% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
| Hispanic adults | 2.8% | 4.4% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 |
A few clear takeaways stand out:
- Non-Hispanic White adults remained above most other major groups at 7.5% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Non-Hispanic Black adults rose from 3.4% to 5.7% between 2019 and 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Hispanic adults increased from 2.8% to 4.4% in the same period (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Other and multiple-race non-Hispanic adults were the highest race/ethnicity category in 2019 at 7.7%, and stayed high at 8.0% in 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
Why it matters
The adult vaping statistics do not describe a single uniform behavior. They describe several overlapping behaviors that vary by life stage and population group. If you only look at the overall rate, you miss the much higher prevalence among younger adults and the much lower prevalence among older adults.
Geography and community type
The 2024 CDC estimate adds a geographic lens that makes the pattern even clearer.
| Community type | Adult e-cigarette use in 2024 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Large central metropolitan counties | 6.1% | CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024 |
| Large fringe metropolitan counties | 6.7% | CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024 |
| Medium and small metropolitan counties | 7.3% | CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024 |
| Nonmetropolitan counties | 9.2% | CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024 |
That progression is straightforward: the farther you move away from the largest central metro counties, the higher the prevalence becomes in this dataset.
9.2% in nonmetropolitan counties is the highest geographic figure provided here, and it is well above the 6.1% recorded in large central metropolitan counties (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
Geographic takeaways
- Large central metro counties had the lowest 2024 rate at 6.1% (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
- Nonmetropolitan counties had the highest 2024 rate at 9.2% (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
- The spread between those two ends was 3.1 percentage points.
- Medium and small metro counties sat in the middle at 7.3% (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
What the adult vaping statistics say about the market
The adult vaping data also includes retail and product-mix information that helps explain how the market changed from 2020 through 2022.
Unit sales and market growth
Adult e-cigarette unit sales increased by 46.6% from January 2020 through December 2022 (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette unit sales report).
That is a large increase over a relatively short period, and it lines up with the upward movement seen in the prevalence estimates.
Flavors and product format
The flavor mix shifted substantially:
- Tobacco-flavored e-cigarette unit share fell from 28.4% to 20.1% between January 2020 and December 2022 (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
- Mint-flavored unit share fell from 10.1% to 5.9% in the same period (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
- Other-flavor unit share rose from 29.2% to 41.3% (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
Product format also shifted:
- Prefilled cartridge unit share fell from 75.2% to 48.0% from January 2020 through December 2022 (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
- Disposable e-cigarette unit share rose from 24.7% to 51.8% over the same period (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
That is a major structural change. The market moved away from a prefilled-cartridge majority to a disposable majority in the retail sales analysis.
Brand concentration and variety
The number of e-cigarette brands in the retail sales analysis grew from 184 in January 2020 to 269 in December 2022 (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
The five top-selling brands for the 4-week period ending December 25, 2022 were Vuse, JUUL, Elf Bar, NJOY, and Breeze Smoke (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
A few additional notes from the same analysis help frame the numbers:
- E-cigarette accessories and devices sold without e-liquids accounted for 9.5% of sales and were excluded from the 2020-2022 retail sales analysis (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
- Ambiguous or concept flavors made up 5.6% of sales in the 2020-2022 analysis (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
Pull-quote style highlight
Disposable units rose from 24.7% to 51.8% while prefilled cartridges fell from 75.2% to 48.0%. That is one of the clearest product-mix reversals in the dataset (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
Adult vaping statistics and cigarette-use context
The supplied data also places e-cigarette use in a broader tobacco-product context for 2022.
In 2022, e-cigarettes were the second most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. adults (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
That rank matters because it shows e-cigarettes are not a niche category in adult tobacco use. They sit near the top of the use hierarchy, not far behind the most common tobacco products.
Adult use in 2022
- About 7 in 100 men currently used e-cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 5 in 100 women currently used e-cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- Current use ranged from 2 in 100 among non-Hispanic Asian adults to 13 in 100 among adults of other races (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- Current use ranged from about 6 in 100 among heterosexual/straight adults to about 18 in 100 among bisexual adults (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 6 in 100 adults with a disability used e-cigarettes, and about 6 in 100 adults without a disability used e-cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
Never-smoker share among adult e-cigarette users
One of the more striking points in the dataset is the share of adult e-cigarette users who had never smoked cigarettes.
- In 2022, about 66% of adult e-cigarette users ages 18-24 had never smoked cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- In 2022, 21.6% of adult e-cigarette users ages 25-44 had never smoked cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- In 2022, 11.3% of adult e-cigarette users ages 45-64 had never smoked cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
These figures show that the age mix among adult e-cigarette users is not only about prevalence. It is also about how many users are entering the category without a prior cigarette-smoking history.
Menthol cigarette context
The same CDC source also includes menthol cigarette figures, which offer a wider view of adult tobacco use patterns in 2022.
- More than 1 in 3 adults who smoked cigarettes (35%) used menthol cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 9.9 million U.S. adults smoked menthol cigarettes in 2022 (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 31 in 100 men who smoked cigarettes used menthol cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 41 in 100 women who smoked cigarettes used menthol cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- Current menthol cigarette smoking ranged from 29 in 100 among adults ages 65 and older to 43 in 100 among adults ages 25-44 (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 31 in 100 adults with a disability who smoked cigarettes used menthol cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- About 37 in 100 adults without a disability who smoked cigarettes used menthol cigarettes (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
- Current menthol cigarette smoking ranged from nearly 26 in 100 among non-Hispanic White adults to nearly 84 in 100 among non-Hispanic Black adults (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).
What to notice in the menthol figures
The menthol data is not the same as vaping data, but it adds context to adult tobacco behavior in the same year. It shows how sharply use patterns can differ by sex, age and race even within one broader tobacco category.
How to read the adult vaping statistics carefully
A few points help keep the numbers in perspective:
- The 2019-2023 series from CDC NCHS Data Brief 524 shows a clear upward move after the 2020 dip.
- The 2024 Health E-Stat values show that prevalence was still elevated and reached 7.0% overall.
- The age gap is large enough that the overall average can hide the intensity of use among younger adults.
- Geography matters too: nonmetropolitan counties had the highest 2024 prevalence at 9.2%.
- Retail sales data point to a changing product mix, especially the rise of disposables and the decline of prefilled cartridges (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
Quick recap by segment
- Overall adult use: 6.5% in 2023 and 7.0% in 2024 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524; CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
- Highest age group in 2023: 21-24 at 15.5% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 524).
- Highest geographic group in 2024: nonmetropolitan counties at 9.2% (CDC NCHS Health E-Stat 2024).
- Strongest product shift: disposable share rose to 51.8% while prefilled cartridges fell to 48.0% (CDC MMWR 2023 e-cigarette sales report).
- Most dramatic demographic contrast: non-Hispanic Black adults at nearly 84 in 100 menthol cigarette smokers versus non-Hispanic White adults at nearly 26 in 100 in the menthol cigarette dataset (CDC Tobacco Product Use Among Adults 2022).