Statistics on Public Health, England 2021

This part presents information on the number of deaths that are attributable to smoking. The commentary covers the latest available data (2019 for deaths) but the tables provide data from the previous year since this has not been published before.

Figures presented relate to people aged 35 and over because this age group is most likely to be affected by smoking-related ill health and mortality.

• Mortality data is taken from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) annual extract of registered deaths and is based on original cause of death.

Links to local authority level data data are also provided.

Please note that the charts are based on rounded data. Unrounded data are available in the corresponding data tables.

Deaths estimated to be attributable to smoking, by year

In 2019 there were estimated to be 74,600 deaths attributable to smoking. This is a decrease of 3% from 2018 (77,000) and 9% from 2009 (82,000).

This represents 15% of all deaths in 2019 (down from 18% in 2009), and 32% of deaths for conditions that can be caused by smoking (similar to 2009).

Deaths estimated to be attributable to smoking, by cause

35% of all deaths for respiratory diseases, and 25% of all deaths for cancers, were estimated to be attributable to smoking.

52% of deaths for cancers that can be caused by smoking, 47% of deaths for respiratory diseases that can be caused by smoking, and 43% of deaths for diseases of the digestive system that can be caused by smoking, were estimated to be attributable to smoking.