DUBLIN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of e-cigarette users in Ireland has increased from 3 percent of its population in 2015 to 5 percent in 2019, according to a survey published here on Wednesday.
This is in contrast with a declining tendency shown in the number of smokers in the country over the period, said the survey released by the Irish Department of Health.
According to the survey, in 2015 the number of smokers in Ireland accounted for 23 percent of its total population, but by 2019 the figure has dropped to 17 percent, down by 6 percentage points over the years.
The survey found that 12 percent of the Irish people have tried e-cigarettes at some point in their life.
By age group, 25 percent of the people aged 25 to 34 in the country have tried e-cigarettes, it said.
The survey also found that usage of e-cigarettes is higher in more deprived areas of the country (7 percent) than in more affluent areas (4 percent).
E-cigarettes are often used by smokers as a means to quit smoking, implied the survey, adding that 38 percent of those who made an attempt to quit smoking used e-cigarettes during this attempt.
Ireland's population now stands at an estimated 4.9 million, according to the country's national statistics bureau CSO.
