Smoking increases among young Australians since ‘vaping sales ban’ in 2024
The latest data from Roy Morgan shows Australian smoking rates have increased since the ‘vaping sales ban’ was introduced in mid-2024 – especially Factory-Made Cigarettes (FMCs); and driven primarily by increased smoking rates for 18-24yr olds.
The Roy Morgan survey shows the incidence of Australians aged 18+ smoking Factory Made Cigarettes (FMCs), Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes) or vaping bottomed at 16.8% (3.59 million) in the year to December 2024. Since then, the incidence of Australians smoking (or vaping) has increased to 17.1% (3.7 million) – an increase of 0.3% points (+110,000).
Driving the increase has been increased smoking rates of Factory-Made Cigarettes (FMCs). Since the year to September 2024 the incidence of Australians smoking FMCs has increased from 7.9% (1.67 million) to 8.3% (1.79 million) – an increase 0.4% points (+120,000).
On July 1, 2024, new legislation prohibited the importation, domestic manufacture, supply, commercial possession and advertisement of disposable single use and non-therapeutic vapes in Australia. However, this legislation has had only a small impact on overall vaping rates which are now at 7.5% of the population (1.61 million) – down by only 0.2% points (-40,000) since the year to September 2024.
Incidence of Australians aged 18+ who smoke or vape
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia: 12m to January 2024 – 12m to May 2025. Base: Australians aged 18+, average interviews per 12m period of n=63,273. *FMC = Factory Made Cigarettes. **RYO = Roll Your Own.
28% of Australians aged 18-24 now smoke or vape
Since the introduction of legislation in mid-2024 prohibiting the importation, domestic manufacture, supply, commercial possession and advertisement of disposable single use and non-therapeutic vapes in mid-2024, rates of smoking – and vaping – have increased among 18-24yr olds.
The incidence of Australians aged 18-24 smoking Factory Made Cigarettes (FMCs), Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes) or vaping bottomed at 25.1% (620,000) in the year to September 2024. Since then, the incidence of 18-24yr olds smoking (or vaping) has increased to 28% (700,000) – an increase of 2.9% points (+80,000). This is the highest rate of smoking (or vaping) among any age group.
Despite the new legislation, there have been increased rates of both smoking and vaping for 18-24yr olds. Now over a fifth of 18-24yr olds vape – 20.5% (510,000), up from a low of 19% (470,000) in the year to September 2024. This is an increase of 1.5% points (+40,000) in less than a year. This is the highest rate of vaping for 18-24yr olds since the year to March 2024 – 20.7% (500,000).
In addition, now 11.1% (280,000) of 18-24yr olds report smoking Factory-Made Cigarettes (FMCs), up from 8.2% (200,000) in the year to September 2024 – an increase of 2.9% points (+80,000).
There has also been a slight increase in the rate of 18-24yr olds smoking Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes) from 7.1% (180,000) in the year to September 2024 to 7.6% (190,000) now – an increase of 0.5% points (+10,000) since mid-2024.
Incidence of Australians aged 18-24 who smoke or vape
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia: 12m to January 2024 – 12m to May 2025. Base: Australians aged 18-24, average interviews per 12m period of n=5,393. *FMC = Factory Made Cigarettes. **RYO = Roll Your Own.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says legislation banning the sale of single-use and non-therapeutic vapes in Australia introduced in 2024 has had little impact on the rate of vaping and coincided with an increase in smoking rates among young Australians:
“The latest Roy Morgan data on smoking and vaping rates in Australia shows rates of smoking have increased since the legislation was introduced in mid-2024 – driven almost entirely by younger Australians aged 18-24.
“The legislation was phased in over several months from July 2024 but has demonstrably failed to reduce overall rates of smoking and vaping – which are higher now than during the second half of last year.
“In particular, in the year to September 2024, over one-sixth of Australians (17.1%) were smoking or vaping – and after briefly dipping, the latest data shows the overall rate of smoking and vaping has now returned to the same level (17.1%) – and the raw number is now higher.
“A comparison of different age groups shows Australians aged 18-24 are driving this increase with the overall rate of smoking and vaping rising 2.9% points for this age group since September 2024. This is a striking contrast with the trends for other age groups with the rate for 25-34yr olds down 0.7% points, down 0.4% points for 50-64yr olds, and down 0.2% points for people aged 65+. The rate is unchanged for people aged 35-49.
“Digging into the data since September 2024 shows more 18-24yr olds are smoking Factory-Made Cigarettes (up 2.9% points to 11.1%), vaping (up 1.5% points to 20.5%), and smoking Roll Your Own cigarettes (up 0.5% points to 7.6%).”
For comments or more information about Roy Morgan’s smoking data including for Factory Made Cigarettes (FMCs), Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes) vaping and other consumer data please contact:
Roy Morgan Enquiries
Office: +61 (3) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com
Related research findings
View detailed profiles on different smoker types including Factory-Made Cigarette (FMC) Smokers Profile, Roll-Your-Own (RYO Cigarettes) Smokers Profile, Pipe Smokers Profile, or the Cigar Smokers Profile.
Please click on this link to the Roy Morgan Online Store to view additional in-depth reports and profiles on consumer data across several industries.
Compiled with data from Roy Morgan’s Single Source survey (the largest of its kind in the world, with 65,000 respondents each year), these ready-made profiles provide a broad understanding of the target audience, in terms of demographics, attitudes, activities and media usage in Australia.
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the Indonesia, U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
