E-cigarette prevalence among males and females

Ever use of e-cigarettes was significantly more prevalent among males, at 19.5% (3.0 million), compared to 13.7% of females (2.2 million) (Figure 11.2).65

Similarly, e-cigarette use in the past 30 days was significantly more prevalent among males (5.7%) than females (3.6%),66 as was daily use of e-cigarettes,67 which was 2.9% among males compared to 1.7% of females (Figure 11.2).

However, the magnitude of differences between males and females appeared to vary by age group.

Line graph showing prevalence of ever use, past 30-day use, and daily use of e-cigarettes among Canadians age 15+, among males and females, from 2013 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

FIGURE 11.2 DATA TABLE WITH 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
Figure 11.2: Prevalence (%) of ever use, past 30-day use, and daily use* of e-cigarettes among Canadians age 15+, among males and females, 2013-2020
  Males Females
  2013 2015 2017 2019 2020 2013 2015 2017 2019 2020
Ever use 8.9 [7.8-10.0] 16.1 [14.5-17.7] 18.8 [16.6-21.0] 18.1 [16.6-19.5] 19.5 [18.0-20.9] 8.1 [6.9-9.3] 10.5 [9.4-11.6] 12.0 [10.4-13.6] 14.4 [13.2-15.6] 13.7 [12.5-15.0]
Past 30-day use 1.8 [1.2-2.4] 3.6 [2.8-4.4] 3.6 [2.7-4.5] 5.8 [4.9-6.7] 5.7 [4.7-6.6] 1.8 [1.3-2.3] 2.8 [2.1-3.5] 2.2 [1.4-2.9] 3.6 [3.0-4.2] 3.6 [3.0-4.3]
Daily use * 1.4 [0.9-1.9] 1.4 [0.9-1.9] 2.6 [2.1-3.2] 2.9 [2.3-3.5] * 0.7 [0.4-1.0] 0.6 [0.2-0.9] 1.5 [1.1-2.0] 1.7 [1.2-2.2]

*Daily use of e-cigarettes not asked in Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS) 2013.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS), 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.

Frequency of e-cigarette use among males and females

In 2020, among past 30-day vapers, males reported using e-cigarettes with nicotine on a significantly greater mean number of days in the past 30 (17.3 days)a, compared to females (13.6 days)b.68

95% confidence intervals for in-text estimates

a: 17.3 [15.3-19.3] 
b: 13.6 [10.8-16.4]