Did you know vaping in Thailand could land you in jail? Or that e-cigarette sales have been banned in the countries of Brazil and the Seychelles? This may seem surprising when you consider how the vaping industry is booming with market spend for vaping and vape-related products steadily increasing year-over-year.
Here are five surprising stats you probably didn’t know about the state of the vaping industry:
1. It’s rising. FAST.
Okay, you probably knew this one. The number of vapers is increasing quickly. In fact, the number of regular vapers saw a 500 percent increase over five years. From seven million in 2011 to 35 million in 2016. Projections from market research grout Euromonitor place the number in the ballpark of 55 million by 2021.
To contrast, the World Health Organization has reported small (but steady!) decreases in the global number of traditional cigarette smokers since 2000. A drop from 1.14 billion to about 1.1 billion today.
2. People are buying.
This is economics 101. Demand influences spend and there is an increasingly voracious appetite for vape products and accessories. The global market carries a hefty $22.6bn value, way up from the $4.2bn from five years ago. The U.S., Japan, and the UK presently hold the highest demand markets, with vapers from the three countries shelling out a total of $16.3 for the smoking alternatives in 2016 alone.
3. There’s definitely a preference.
When it comes to vaping, there are two main types: open and closed systems i.e. open and closed tanks. An open tank allows the user to refill their device manually. A closed tank uses ready-made refills and cartridges (think JUUL).
While usage of both types is on a steady rise, more people opt for open systems than closed ones and the gap is widening.
4. Vapers like face-to-face purchases.
Purchases of e-cigarettes and vape devices are mostly made in specialty shops and boutiques, according to a published Ernst & Young report. In fact, 35 percent of vapers from the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Russia, and South Korea bought their devices from a shop in 2015. Followed by 21 percent purchasing them online.
5. It’s being used as a tool.
Probably some of the most sought-after metrics and research with regards to the growth of the vaping industry are what is driving their usage. The latest report from Public Health England’s survey of 3,000 regular vapers found that the number one reasons vapers use e-cigarettes is because they believe them to be less harmful than cigarettes. Followed by use to help cut down on smoking and that the habit is less bothersome to others. The lowest driver of consumer use was the availability of different flavors.
