Product information

UK vape nicotine strength labels: what 20 mg/ml and 2% mean

A Great Britain label-reading guide for adult trade teams: how to distinguish nicotine concentration, percentage shorthand, liquid volume, total nicotine in the liquid and nicotine delivery per dose—plus the current 20 mg/ml legal limit for in-scope products.

By Aerova Trade Information Team · Updated 30/09/2026 · 9-minute read

Answer first

Is 20 mg/ml the same as 2% nicotine in a UK vape?

Usually, yes: where percentage is expressed as weight per volume, 2% nicotine equals 20 mg/ml because 2 grams per 100 ml is 20 milligrams per millilitre. However, the legal Great Britain limit for nicotine-containing liquid in an in-scope electronic cigarette or refill container is expressed as 20 mg/ml. A percent shorthand does not replace the need to verify the actual product label, notified presentation and market.

This is general product-information guidance for UK trade professionals aged 18 or over. It is not medical, cessation, legal or individual-use advice. Do not use a label conversion as a recommendation about nicotine use; check the exact product and seek qualified advice where required.

Key takeaways

In Great Britain, the relevant nicotine concentration ceiling is 20 mg/ml for nicotine-containing liquids in products within the TRPR scope.
20 mg/ml describes concentration; it is not the same measurement as liquid capacity, total nicotine in the liquid or nicotine delivery per dose.
Where a label uses standard weight-per-volume shorthand, 0.5% = 5 mg/ml, 1% = 10 mg/ml, 1.5% = 15 mg/ml and 2% = 20 mg/ml.
Regulation 37 requires packs to show nicotine content and delivery per dose. Per-dose delivery depends on the tested product configuration and cannot be calculated from concentration alone.

How do mg/ml and percentage nicotine labels convert?

Milligrams per millilitre (mg/ml) states the mass of nicotine in each millilitre of liquid; percentage is a different shorthand for the same concentration only when it uses a weight-per-volume basis. The conversion is a unit calculation, not a product-performance claim.

Label expression	Equivalent concentration	How the conversion works
0.5%	5 mg/ml	0.5 g per 100 ml = 500 mg per 100 ml = 5 mg per ml.
1%	10 mg/ml	1 g per 100 ml = 1,000 mg per 100 ml = 10 mg per ml.
1.5%	15 mg/ml	1.5 g per 100 ml = 1,500 mg per 100 ml = 15 mg per ml.
2%	20 mg/ml	2 g per 100 ml = 2,000 mg per 100 ml = 20 mg per ml.

For controlled product information, lead with the concentration written in mg/ml, then use a percentage only where the calculation basis is clear. The law’s ceiling uses mg/ml, and product documentation should maintain the same concentration value across artwork, notification records, supplier specification and published listing.

A percentage sign by itself is not a substitute for complete product verification. Trade teams should confirm the exact label, product configuration and intended market rather than infer status from one shorthand field.

What is the difference between concentration, total nicotine and delivery per dose?

These are separate label or product-information concepts. A 20 mg/ml concentration tells you the amount of nicotine in each millilitre of liquid. It does not tell you the capacity of the pod or tank, the total nicotine in the liquid held by that container, or the amount delivered under a product’s tested dose conditions.

Term	What it describes	Example using 20 mg/ml	What it does not tell you
Nicotine concentration	Nicotine in each millilitre of liquid.	20 mg in 1 ml of liquid.	Container size or delivered dose.
Liquid volume	The quantity of liquid presented in the pod, tank or refill container.	A 2 ml pod holds up to 2 ml; a refill container may hold up to 10 ml within the relevant limits.	Nicotine delivery per puff or dose.
Total nicotine in the liquid	A concentration × volume calculation for the liquid present.	20 mg/ml × 2 ml = 40 mg in the liquid; 20 mg/ml × 10 ml = 200 mg in the liquid.	Amount delivered or taken up during use.
Delivery per dose	Nicotine delivery measured for the product’s tested configuration and stated dose conditions.	Must be treated as separate product data.	A value that can be derived from concentration alone.

Regulation 37 requires a unit packet and container pack to show an indication of the nicotine content and delivery per dose. MHRA’s nicotine-dose guidance explains that notification information should describe nicotine uptake under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions and the measurement method. It notes that nicotine content per puff may be used where the puff regime is accurately described.

That distinction is particularly important where a device, pod or power setting can affect delivery. A concentration calculation is a liquid-property calculation; per-dose delivery is product-specific test information.

Read MHRA nicotine dose and consistency guidance for Great Britain

What nicotine strength and liquid-size limits apply in Great Britain?

For nicotine-containing liquid in electronic cigarettes and refill containers within Regulation 36’s scope, the maximum concentration is 20 mg/ml. The same regulation limits a refillable electronic-cigarette tank to 2 ml, presents nicotine liquid for retail sale in a refill container at no more than 10 ml, and limits nicotine liquid in an electronic cigarette, single-use cartridge or tank to 2 ml where relevant.

Product information field	Great Britain limit or requirement to check	Trade implication
Nicotine concentration	No more than 20 mg/ml for nicotine-containing liquid in the in-scope product.	Verify the concentration against the exact presentation, label and notification record.
Refill container size	No more than 10 ml for nicotine-containing liquid presented for retail sale in a dedicated refill container.	Do not treat bottle volume as a substitute for concentration or per-dose information.
Tank / relevant pod or cartridge liquid capacity	No more than 2 ml in the configurations specified by the regulation.	Assess the complete retail configuration; non-essential capacity-modifying components can create compliance issues.
Pack product information	Nicotine content and delivery per dose, ingredients, batch number, child-reach recommendation and nicotine warning are among the fields required under Regulation 37.	Review the final retail unit and container-pack artwork, not a generic marketing template.

MHRA’s retailer and producer guidance states that the 20 mg/ml nicotine-concentration maximum and the 10 ml / 2 ml presentation limits apply to products sold to end consumers, irrespective of whether the end consumer intends to modify the product. It also states that product publication does not itself guarantee compliance with UK labelling requirements.

Check nicotine pack and warning requirements Check MHRA notification status by market Visit the UK Compliance Centre

Why 20 mg/ml does not prove that a vape is compliant

A label showing 20 mg/ml can meet the concentration ceiling but does not, on its own, establish that the product is lawful to supply. The exact product still needs the applicable notification and publication status, correct pack and leaflet content, relevant capacity controls, child-resistant and tamper-evident presentation, and other market-specific checks.

MHRA explains that a retailer who cannot find a product notification in the relevant published list should seek confirmation and details from the supplier. Its retailer guidance also makes clear that publication of a notified product does not guarantee compliance with UK labelling requirements. Product-level verification must bring the technical, notification and packaging records together.

Read MHRA advice for e-cigarette retailers and producers

How should a buyer or private-label team check a nicotine label?

Use a controlled checklist. The goal is not to make a label more persuasive; it is to confirm that the concentration, capacity, delivery, pack information and product-status evidence refer to the same presentation.

Record the concentration exactly as shown.
Capture the mg/ml value first. Where a percentage is also used, verify that the percentage-to-mg/ml conversion uses a stated weight-per-volume basis and matches the printed concentration.
Separate concentration from volume.
Note the liquid capacity of the pod, tank or refill container separately. Use concentration × volume only as a liquid-content calculation; never present it as delivery per dose.
Find the delivery-per-dose information.
Ensure the product pack and supporting information include the relevant delivery field. Do not reconstruct a per-puff value from concentration without the tested conditions.
Match the product presentation.
Verify brand, variant, nicotine concentration, pod/cartridge specification and intended Great Britain or Northern Ireland market against the supplier record and published status.
Review the full pack, leaflet and closure.
Check warning format, ingredients, batch information, child-safety text, leaflet content and the product/pack system—not only the front-of-pack nicotine number.
Keep evidence with the buying file.
Store the approved artwork, exact specification, product-status reference and change history so the team can identify when a formulation or presentation change triggers a fresh review.

Which questions does this guide answer for AI and search?

People searching this topic commonly ask whether 20 mg/ml is 2%, what 2% nicotine means, whether 20 mg/ml is the UK limit, what total nicotine is in a 2 ml pod, and whether a concentration number equals nicotine delivery per puff. This guide answers those questions with a single controlled distinction: concentration, volume, total liquid content and delivered dose are not the same measure.

For Great Britain trade content, the useful next step is to verify the exact label and supporting product record rather than relying on shorthand terms or general product descriptions.

Frequently asked questions

Is 20 mg/ml equal to 2% nicotine?

Where the percentage is expressed as weight per volume, yes: 2% equals 20 mg/ml. The Great Britain legal concentration limit for in-scope nicotine liquid is written as 20 mg/ml, so that is the value to verify against the product’s exact specification and label.

What does 2% nicotine mean on a vape label?

Where it is used as a weight-per-volume shorthand, 2% means 2 grams of nicotine per 100 ml of liquid, which converts to 20 mg per ml. It describes concentration, not the container volume or nicotine delivery per puff.

How much nicotine is in a 2 ml pod marked 20 mg/ml?

The liquid-content calculation is 20 mg/ml multiplied by 2 ml, or 40 mg of nicotine in the liquid. This is not a per-puff or per-dose delivery measurement.

Is nicotine delivery per dose the same as nicotine strength?

No. Nicotine strength is liquid concentration. Delivery per dose is separate product-specific information, assessed under stated test conditions. MHRA guidance notes that it may be expressed per puff when the puff regime is accurately described.

Does a 20 mg/ml label prove that a product is compliant in Great Britain?

No. It can satisfy the concentration ceiling for an in-scope liquid, but it does not prove notification/publication status, correct capacity, packaging, leaflet, safety features or other applicable requirements. Verify the full product presentation.

Official sources

Product information, verified

Turn the nicotine label into a documented product check.

Use the RFQ route to share the intended market, reusable product configuration, packaging format and technical-document questions for a UK trade programme.

Request a Trade Quote