How successful is the switch from tobacco cigarettes?? Which nicotine strengths dominate the market?? And how much money do German vapers really spend every month?? InnoCigs asked.
The market for e-cigarettes is constantly growing. But instead of relying on theoretical models, we wanted to know, what happens in practice. We have 562 active users from all over Germany about their vaping behavior, asked about their motivation and their experiences. This report summarizes the results and places them in the current scientific context.
InnoCigs Report 2025: This is how Germany really steams – an analysis by 562 records
The most important thing in brief (Key Takeaways):
- High satisfaction: 86 % of respondents are switching to e-cigarettes “satisfied” or “very satisfied”.
- effectiveness: For 41 % For successful ex-smokers, the e-cigarette was the decisive tool - even before nicotine patches.
- Trend towards less nicotine: Almost half (45 %) steams at maximum 3 mg/ml Nicotine.
- Cost savings: 61 % of users give less than monthly 24 euros for vaping.
1. Study design & methodology
(Transparency notice: How we collected the data)
In order to make the significance of this report transparent, we disclose our data base:
- population: The survey was aimed at InnoCigs customers and newsletter subscribers.
- sample (n): 562 validated data sets from Germany.
- Geographical distribution: Participants from all federal states (Frontrunner: Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony, Hesse).
- Limitation: Because the respondents are already customers of a specialist retailer, lies in Selection Bias (Selection bias) before. The results reflect the experiences of a target group with an affinity for vaping and are not representative of the general population.
2. The way to quit smoking: Subjective success rate
A large part of our community has a long history of smoking. 65 % of participants stated, having tried several times in the past, to stop smoking.
The comparison of the methods is interesting. We have the participants, who have successfully stopped smoking tobacco, asked, which tool was crucial for them.
Table 1: Which drug helped you successfully quit smoking??
| Method | Share of users |
| E-cigarette | 41 % |
| “Cold turkey” (Pure willpower) | 32 % |
| Nicotine replacement products (Pavement, chewing gum) | 18 % |
| Other (Hypnosis, Apps, etc.) | 9 % |
Analyse:
Why do e-cigarettes perform so well in our survey?? Behavioral psychology provides an explanation: Unlike plasters, the e-cigarette uses haptics and ritual. The “Hand-to-mouth”-Behavior remains, which can reduce the psychological pressure during weaning. This is consistent with observations from clinical studies, like the Cochrane Review (2024) [1], that e-cigarettes are highly effective in helping people quit smoking.
3. User behavior: Nicotine & Cost
A common argument “Harm Reduction” (Damage minimization) is the possibility, to gradually control and reduce nicotine consumption. Our data confirms this trend towards reduction.
Table 2: Distribution of preferred nicotine strengths
| Nicotine strength (mg/ml) | User share | Classification |
| 0 mg (Nicotine-free) | 9 % | Complete renunciation |
| 1 – 3 mg | 45 % | Most popular category |
| 4 – 5 mg | 14 % | Moderate |
| 6 – 11 mg | 21 % | Mittel (often MTL beginners) |
| > 12 mg | 11 % | Hoch (often heavy ex-smokers) |
Only a minority still uses very high nicotine concentrations. The trend is clearly going down in the area 6 mg/ml.
Economic factor
In addition to health, the budget is a strong driver.
- 61 % of respondents give monthly less than 24,00 Euro for liquids and accessories.
- In comparison: A smoker, who consumes one box per day (ca. 8 €), comes to monthly costs of approx. 240 Euro.
- The savings are therefore significant for the majority of vapers.
4. Scientific context & controversy
We are confident in our products, but still want to paint a balanced picture of current science.
The pro side (Opportunities):
The British Health Authority (formerly PHE, today OHID) maintains this in their evidence-based updates, that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than tobacco cigarettes [2]. The main reason: There is no combustion. Tar and carbon monoxide - the main causes of cancer and cardiovascular disease when smoking - are eliminated when vaping.
Die Contra-Seite (Risks):
E-cigarettes are not risk-free. Institutes such as the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) point out, that long-term studies over several decades are still missing. Aerosols from e-cigarettes can also contain potentially harmful substances, albeit in drastically lower quantities than tobacco smoke.
Passive vaping:
Studies (z.B. Roswell Park Cancer Institute) indicate that, that the pollution of the room air by steam (“Second-hand Vaping”) is significantly lower than from tobacco smoke. Nevertheless, our appeal stands: Out of consideration should be indoors in the presence of non-smokers, Do not vape for pregnant women or children.
5. Conclusion
The results of our survey below 562 Participants paint a clear picture: For this group, the e-cigarette is a working one, cost-saving and satisfactory alternative to tobacco cigarettes.
The high satisfaction rate of 86 % shows, that the switch is not a renunciation, but is often perceived as an increase in quality of life - be it through better taste, the elimination of the smell of smoke or the financial relief.
What are your experiences??
Does this data reflect your everyday life?? Discuss with us in the comments or write us your story.
List of sources (References)
- Hartmann-Boyce J, et al. (2024). Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
- McNeill A, et al. (2022). Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update summary. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).
Disclaimer (Disclaimer):
This article is for informational purposes only and is based on a customer survey. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or a promise of healing. E-cigarettes are recreational drugs for adults and are not risk-free. They usually contain nicotine, which has a high addictive potential. The safest way for your health is to avoid tobacco completely- and nicotine products.
