Vaping demographics statistics at a glance
Vaping demographics are not flat. The latest numbers show clear differences by age, sex, race and household income, and the gaps matter because they shape who is most likely to use e-cigarettes, how use changes over time, and where prevention efforts land best.
For readers who want the short version first, the pattern is simple: adults ages 21 to 24 had the highest current e-cigarette use rate in 2023 at 15.5% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), while adults 65 and older were at 0.9% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). Among students, high school use was 10.0% in 2023 and middle school use was 4.6% (CDC/NYTS 2023).
Table of contents
- How adult vaping changed over time
- Age differences in vaping
- Sex differences in vaping
- Race and ethnicity patterns
- Income and access patterns
- Youth vaping demographics
- What the distribution suggests
How adult vaping changed over time
The adult vaping story is not just about who vapes, but also how the overall rate has shifted.
In 2019, 4.5% of U.S. adults used electronic cigarettes (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). The rate fell to 3.7% in 2020 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), then returned to 4.5% in 2021 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), rose to 6.0% in 2022 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), and reached 6.5% in 2023 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524).
That is a meaningful increase over the five-year window. The 2023 figure is 2.0 percentage points higher than 2019, which means current adult use moved from the mid-single digits into a noticeably higher range. The same source also shows the distribution is not uniform inside the adult population, which matters more than the single headline rate when you are trying to understand demographics.
Fast fact box
- 6.5% of U.S. adults used electronic cigarettes in 2023 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
- 4.5% of U.S. adults used electronic cigarettes in 2019 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
- 3.7% of U.S. adults used electronic cigarettes in 2020 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
- 6.0% of U.S. adults used electronic cigarettes in 2022 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
Age differences in vaping
Age is the clearest divider in the statistics. The youngest adults consistently post the highest use rates, and use declines as age rises.
In 2023, adults ages 21 to 24 had the highest current e-cigarette use rate at 15.5% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). Adults ages 25 to 34 were next at 12.6% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). Adults ages 18 to 20 were also high at 10.3% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). From there, the rate fell to 7.3% for ages 35 to 49, 3.3% for ages 50 to 64, and 0.9% for adults 65 and older (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524).
That gradient is important because it shows vaping is concentrated in younger adults, not spread evenly across the population.
Adult vaping by age, 2023
| Age group | Current e-cigarette use rate |
|---|---|
| 18-20 | 10.3% |
| 21-24 | 15.5% |
| 25-34 | 12.6% |
| 35-49 | 7.3% |
| 50-64 | 3.3% |
| 65 and older | 0.9% |
(Source: CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
The 2019 numbers show the same pattern, even though the levels were lower overall. Adults ages 18 to 20 were at 8.1% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), ages 21 to 24 were at 10.1% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), ages 25 to 34 were at 7.4% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), ages 35 to 49 were at 4.9% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), ages 50 to 64 were at 2.7% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), and adults 65 and older were at 0.8% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524).
The difference between 2019 and 2023 is especially visible in the 21 to 24 group, which climbed from 10.1% to 15.5% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). That is the kind of shift that changes how marketers, public health teams and policymakers think about audience targeting.
Sex differences in vaping
Men had higher current e-cigarette use than women in the data points shown here, but the size of the gap varies by year and age band.
In 2023, men had a 7.6% current e-cigarette use rate and women had a 5.5% rate (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). In 2019, men were at 5.5% and women were at 3.5% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). That means both groups increased over time, but men remained ahead in both years.
Quick comparison
| Group | 2019 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 5.5% | 7.6% |
| Women | 3.5% | 5.5% |
(Source: CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
A second source adds another useful layer. In 2021, among adults ages 18 to 24, men had an 11.6% current e-cigarette use rate and women had a 10.3% rate (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475). Among adults ages 25 to 44, men were at 7.9% and women were at 5.1% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475). Among adults ages 45 and over, men were at 1.9% and women were at 2.0% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475).
That last line matters because it shows the sex gap is not universal across every age band. In older adults, the difference was essentially closed in 2021. The bigger divide appears in younger and middle adult groups, where male use stayed higher.
Race and ethnicity patterns
Race and ethnicity also shape the demographics picture, but not in a single simple direction. The overall ranking changes depending on the year and the dataset.
In 2023, white non-Hispanic adults had a 7.5% current e-cigarette use rate (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), other and multiple-race non-Hispanic adults were at 8.0% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), Black non-Hispanic adults were at 5.7% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), Hispanic adults were at 4.4% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), and Asian non-Hispanic adults were at 3.4% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524).
In 2019, the pattern was different in the middle of the distribution. Other and multiple-race non-Hispanic adults were at 7.7% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), white non-Hispanic adults were at 5.1% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), Black non-Hispanic adults were at 3.4% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), Hispanic adults were at 2.8% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), and Asian non-Hispanic adults were at 2.7% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524).
Race and ethnicity, 2023 versus 2019
| Group | 2019 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Asian non-Hispanic | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Black non-Hispanic | 3.4% | 5.7% |
| White non-Hispanic | 5.1% | 7.5% |
| Other and multiple-race non-Hispanic | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| Hispanic | 2.8% | 4.4% |
(Source: CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524)
The main takeaway is that every listed group increased from 2019 to 2023, but not by the same amount. Black non-Hispanic adults moved from 3.4% to 5.7% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524), and Hispanic adults moved from 2.8% to 4.4% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). White non-Hispanic adults also increased, but from a higher base. Meanwhile, Asian non-Hispanic adults stayed below the other groups in both years.
A separate 2021 view tells a slightly different story. White non-Hispanic adults were at 5.2% current use, Asian non-Hispanic adults at 2.9%, Black or African American non-Hispanic adults at 2.4%, and Hispanic or Latino adults at 3.3% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475). That version again shows variation, but it also shows how sensitive demographic rankings can be to year and survey frame.
Income and access patterns
Income is one of the cleaner demographic splits in the 2021 data. Lower-income adults had higher current use than higher-income adults.
Adults with family incomes under 200% of the federal poverty level had a 5.8% e-cigarette use rate in 2021 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475). Adults with family incomes from 200% to under 400% of the federal poverty level were at 4.8% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475). Adults with family incomes at or above 400% of the federal poverty level were at 3.6% (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475).
Income gradient, 2021
| Family income level | Current e-cigarette use rate |
|---|---|
| Under 200% of federal poverty level | 5.8% |
| 200% to under 400% of federal poverty level | 4.8% |
| At or above 400% of federal poverty level | 3.6% |
(Source: CDC/NCHS Data Brief 475)
This type of gradient suggests vaping is not simply a lifestyle issue detached from broader socioeconomic conditions. It may also reflect differences in stress, social environment, health behavior clustering and access to cessation support. The numbers do not prove why the gap exists, but they do show that the gap exists.
Youth vaping demographics
Youth data are especially important because they show where nicotine use is most visible in school-age populations.
In 2023, 7.7% of middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days (CDC/NYTS 2023). Breaking that out, middle school students were at 4.6% and high school students were at 10.0% (CDC/NYTS 2023). In raw counts, that translated to 550,000 middle school students and 1,560,000 high school students currently using e-cigarettes (CDC/NYTS 2023).
That is a large student population. It also means the youth market is not marginal, even when the percentages look moderate.
Youth use at a glance, 2023
| Group | Current use |
|---|---|
| Middle school students | 4.6% |
| High school students | 10.0% |
| All middle and high school students | 7.7% |
(Source: CDC/NYTS 2023)
Among students who had ever used e-cigarettes in 2023, 46.7% reported current e-cigarette use (CDC/NYTS 2023). That is a sign that experimentation often overlaps with ongoing use rather than staying isolated as one-time trial.
The device and flavor data add more texture. Among current youth e-cigarette users in 2023, 60.7% used disposable devices (CDC/NYTS 2023), 16.1% used prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges (CDC/NYTS 2023), and 5.9% used tanks or mod systems (CDC/NYTS 2023). Also, 89.4% used a flavored product in the past 30 days (CDC/NYTS 2023), including 63.4% who used fruit flavors, 35.0% who used candy flavors, and 6.4% who used tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes (CDC/NYTS 2023).
Those percentages show a youth-use pattern centered on disposable devices and flavors, not on one uniform product style.
Youth flavor and device mix
- 60.7% used disposable devices (CDC/NYTS 2023)
- 16.1% used pods or cartridges (CDC/NYTS 2023)
- 5.9% used tanks or mod systems (CDC/NYTS 2023)
- 89.4% used a flavored product in the past 30 days (CDC/NYTS 2023)
- 63.4% used fruit flavors (CDC/NYTS 2023)
- 35.0% used candy flavors (CDC/NYTS 2023)
- 6.4% used tobacco flavors (CDC/NYTS 2023)
The 2024 youth trend data show some movement at the school level. In 2024, 5.9% of middle and high school students used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). The same source also notes that high school e-cigarette use declined to 10.0% from 14.1% in 2023 (CDC/NYTS 2024 and 2023), while middle school e-cigarette use was 3.3% in 2022 and 4.6% in 2023, showing no statistically significant change (CDC/NYTS 2024 and 2023).
What the distribution suggests
The demographics are telling a consistent story: vaping is most concentrated among younger adults and teens, with a strong drop-off as age rises. Men usually show higher rates than women, though the gap can narrow in older groups. Income is inversely related to use in the 2021 data, and race and ethnicity differences are real but not fixed in one direction across every year.
The most important practical point is that demographic averages can hide concentrated pockets of use. A national adult rate of 6.5% in 2023 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524) looks modest until you see the 15.5% rate among adults ages 21 to 24 (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 524). Likewise, a youth average of 7.7% (CDC/NYTS 2023) becomes more actionable when you separate middle school and high school, because high school students were substantially higher at 10.0% (CDC/NYTS 2023).
If you are reading these statistics for market research, public health work or content strategy, the practical lesson is the same: the word “vaping” hides a lot of demographic structure. The useful questions are not only who uses e-cigarettes, but which age bands, which income bands and which student groups carry the highest rates in the most recent data.