Portsmouth ranks ninth in the UK for biggest drops in smoking rates
Quitting smoking is never easy, most smokers try several times before they succeed, and many struggle with cravings, routines, and the stress of everyday life.
Yet across the UK, fewer people are lighting up than ever before. A new study shows Portsmouth is one of the cities making significant progress in helping residents kick the habit.
The study, conducted by Legacy Healing Center, reveals how UK cities have been kicking the habit over the past ten years. The research looked at smoking rates from ten years ago and compared them with today’s figures, showing some impressive declines, and a few increases.
Portsmouth ties for ninth in the UK with Manchester. The percentage of people that smoke has fallen from 22% to 10.1%, a drop of 11.9% in the last decade
Leading the country is Colchester, where smoking has dropped by 17.4%, followed by Gloucester with a 16.9% fall. Perth comes in third with a 16.2% decline, Dundee is fourth with a 14.7% reduction, Newcastle upon Tyne is fifth with a 14.2% fall, Lincoln is sixth at 12.7%, Milton Keynes is seventh at 12.4%, Norwich is eighth at 12%, and Portsmouth rounds out the top 10, all seeing double-digit drops in smoking rates.
Ben Fox, spokesperson for Legacy Healing Center commented:
“Smoking habits often develop because of stress, social pressures, or simply the easy availability of cigarettes. Many people start young without fully realising how addictive it can be, and for some, certain routines or environments make quitting harder.
“Quitting usually happens when people get strong support, find healthier ways to cope with stress, or have clear goals, whether that’s saving money, improving fitness, or just wanting to feel better day to day. Small changes can have a big impact: cutting down gradually, using nicotine replacement products, joining support groups, or even just planning smoke-free routines at home can all help.
“Beyond health, quitting can bring some surprisingly quick rewards. People often notice better sleep, fresher breath, a sharper sense of taste, and more energy for everyday activities. Keeping motivation up can be as simple as avoiding triggers, celebrating milestones, and leaning on friends, family, or local quit-smoking services.
List of the top 20 cities with the highest quitting rates:
| Rank | City | Current Smokers | Smokers 10 Years Ago | Fall in Smoker Rates |
| 1 | Colchester | 9.60% | 27.00% | -17.40% |
| 2 | Gloucester | 5.50% | 22.40% | -16.90% |
| 3 | Perth | 2.90% | 19.10% | -16.20% |
| 4 | Dundee | 13.50% | 28.20% | -14.70% |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 10.70% | 24.90% | -14.20% |
| 6 | Lincoln | 6.50% | 19.20% | -12.70% |
| 7 | Milton Keynes | 7.60% | 20.00% | -12.40% |
| 8 | Norwich | 15.40% | 27.40% | -12.00% |
| 9 | Manchester | 11.90% | 23.80% | -11.90% |
| 9 | Portsmouth | 10.10% | 22.00% | -11.90% |
| 11 | Lichfield | 8.50% | 20.00% | -11.50% |
| 12 | Derby | 10.50% | 21.50% | -11.00% |
| 13 | Liverpool | 12.60% | 23.50% | -10.90% |
| 14 | Brighton and Hove | 15.30% | 26.10% | -10.80% |
| 15 | Glasgow | 12.70% | 23.40% | -10.70% |
| 16 | York | 8.10% | 18.70% | -10.60% |
| 17 | Wakefield | 12.90% | 23.40% | -10.50% |
| 18 | Durham | 11.70% | 22.10% | -10.40% |
| 19 | Leeds | 11.10% | 21.50% | -10.40% |
| 20 | Stirling | 8.90% | 19.00% | -10.10% |
This study used publicly available data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to examine smoking rates across UK cities. Researchers first collected the most recent figures on the proportion of current smokers in each city. They then compared these with data from ten years ago to calculate the fall in smoker rates over the decade for each location.