Ongoing support and efforts to reduce smoking have helped Sunderland’s smoking rate fall below both regional and national averages.
New data from the Office for National Statistics (November 2025) shows that in 2024 just 9.4 per cent of adults in the city smoked — lower than the 10.2 per cent in the North East and 10.4 per cent across England.
This reflects the impact of long-term work across the city to put in place the right support, environments and services that make it easier for people to live smoke-free lives.
Councillor Kelly Chequer, Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities, said:
“Good health is shaped by the conditions around us and our city has been working hard to make sure people have the support they need to quit smoking. It’s encouraging to see this reflected in smoking rates falling to their lowest levels on record.
“While smoking has historically been higher in Sunderland and has contributed to preventable illness and early death, these new figures show the progress that’s possible when we work together.
“Reducing smoking is a key priority in our Healthy City Plan and as a council we remain committed to reaching a five per cent smoking rate by 2030. We will continue to work in partnership with Fresh, the NHS and councils across the region to ensure residents have access to the tools, advice and stop-smoking support that make quitting more achievable.
“Stopping smoking can be difficult but it’s also one of the best things anyone can do for their health, so I’d urge anyone thinking of quitting to take advantage of all the support that’s out there.”
Smokers registering with the Home – Sunderland Smoking Service can swap their cigarettes for a free vape and receive the help and support of an experienced stop smoking advisor. The Sunderland service is part of the national “Swap to Stop” scheme that provides adults who smoke with a free vape kit to help them quit.
Across the North East, long-term investment in supportive policies and services has resulted in the largest reduction in smoking rates nationally since 2005.
More details on the rates are being presented to the meeting of the City Council’s health and wellbeing scrutiny committee on Tuesday 25 November.
The report to the committee Update on Smokefree Sunderland, by Sunderland’s Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, Gerry Taylor can be read here: Document.ashx
