If you’re looking for some interesting statistics regarding vegan trends, meat consumption and insights into how much food is wasted, you’ve come to the right place.
Veganism is on the rise worldwide
Though as a collective world, only 1% identify as a vegan, veganism is still on the rise. The numbers differ greatly by region.
9% of the Asia Pacific region reported following a vegan diet, 6% within the Middle East and Africa, and 4% of Latin Americans.
2% of North America reported themselves as vegan, as did 2% of Europe. The math’s confusing, we know.
The world’s growing love for plant-based meat
Plant-based protein market value is growing steadily. From $10.11 billion in 2022, its value grew to $13.1 billion in 2023 (rose by +7%), and is projected to steadily increase to $33.99 billion by 2027.
From 2022, a reported 36% of Veganuary participants continued with the vegan diet after signing up. Lifestyle was a large motivating factor, with 21% taking part for personal health reasons.
Awareness of animal cruelty in the fashion industry
Not every country is as aware as others of animal cruelty in the fashion industry.
- Australia 56%
- Austria 83%
- Bulgaria 66%
- Germany 62%
- Netherlands 75%
- Switzerland 84%
- South Africa 68%
- UK 60%
- US 46%
In 2022, of the countries surveyed, the US was the least aware of the animal cruelty of the industry, at 46%, whilst Switzerland was the most aware, at 84% according to studies.
How many vegan pets are there?*
As of 2019, results showed that 10.4% of dogs and 3.3% of cats are fed an intermittent plant based diet. From the same survey, 1.6% of dogs and 0.7% of cats were reported to follow a “strict plant-based diet”.
*We (Veganisingit) do not advocate for feeding plant-based diets to carnivorous animals.
USA Vegan Facts
The USA is a large country with over 300 million people, one of the biggest collective consumers of meat and dairy products in the world.
How many vegans are there in the USA?
Not all is doom and gloom, though. A survey recently run in 2023 concluded about 3% of US citizens follow a vegan diet, with 5% being vegetarians.
How many animals die for meat in the US?
As of 2024, 42 days into the year, 6,672,619,092 animals have been killed for food in the US alone, that’s 155,177,188 a day.
On an annual basis, 8,127,632,113 chickens, 214,508,816 turkeys and 124,061,094 pigs are killed. 36,163,973 cattle, 23,275,362 ducks, 7,499,676 sheep also are killed yearly for food in the US.
Over 3.7 trillion fish are killed, and over 43.1 trillion shellfish are killed, solely for US consumption, on a yearly basis.
We weren’t joking when we said that they eat a LOT of meat.
Vegans and vegetarians in the US
Although the US is notorious for their meat consumption, their plant-based meat consumption is on the rise.
Broken down by age range:
18-29 years old: vegetarian 7%, vegan 3%
30-49: vegetarian 8%, vegan 4%
50-64: vegetarian 3%, vegan 1%
65+: vegetarian 2%, vegan 3%
In the US, the age range with the most vegans (proportionately) was those aged 30-49. The age range with the least vegans consisted of those aged 50-64.
The rise of plant-based product sales in the US
Plant-based food sales from 2018 to 2022 showed a significant rise in value from $4.8 billion to $8 billion (a 66.6% increase)! Sales value can be summarised below (in millions):
- Milk alternatives $2.8k
- Meat alternatives $1.4k
- Tofu, tempeh & seitan $185
In 2022, there was also a rise in popularity across the following plant-based food categories:
- Creamer +24%
- Butter 15%
- Eggs 14%
- Milk 9%
- Yoghurt 5%
- Tofu, Tempeh & Seitan +4%
Conventional meat and cheese sales dropped in the same year by -1% and -2%, respectively.
Vegan meat substitute consumption is projected to continuously grow, with the US vegan food industry projected to reach $16.3 billion by 2027. This includes plant-based processed and unprocessed foods.
US citizens don’t all have the same motivations, here are some of the most common reasons for those to try meat substitutes.
- 61% motivated by health benefits
- 40% environment
- 38% interest in new products
- 34% animal welfare benefits
- 29% looking for variety in meat-free diets
- 18% food security benefits
- 11% reducing allergies
Vegan meat wasn’t the only plant-based favourite. Vegan milk was another one loved by many, with a generated revenue of $3.6 billion in 2023. A growth of over a billion dollars, forecasted to reach $5.4 billion by 2028.
Vegan statistics in Canada
As of 2024, the total number of reported vegetarians in Canada reached 2.3 million, vegans made up 850,000. The province of Canada with the largest share of vegans and vegetarians is British Columbia.
In a 2020 survey, 4.6% of Canadians were reported to be vegan.
Views of plant-based eating in Canada
In a more generalised study, men and women were asked whether they view plant-based eating as a positive choice.
Females
70% of 18-34 year old Canadian females view vegan eating as positive
60% of 35-54 year old Canadian females view vegan eating as positive
53% of 55+ year old Canadian females view vegan eating as positive
Males
78% of 18-34 year old Canadian males view vegan eating as positive
67% of 35-54 year old Canadian males view vegan eating as positive
68% of 55+ year old Canadian males view vegan eating as positive
In another survey run in 2019, 22% of Canadians surveyed planned to include vegan food in their holiday meal.
Motivations behind eating less meat in Canada
Vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians were surveyed and asked about their motivations behind eating plant-based.
A large motivation to eat vegan was driven by the fear of climate change and for environmental reasons.
Of the participating females, below breaks down the proportion of those doing so for the environment:
67% of women aged 18-34
42% of women aged 35-54
26% of women aged 55+
Of the participating males, the same breakdown:
70% of men aged 18-34
53% of men aged 35-54
28% of men aged 55+
How often Canadians buy vegan and vegetarian foods
Canadians were given multiple choices to fill out regarding how often they bought vegetarian and vegan foods. The results are shown below:
Daily 2.87%
Several times a week 9.19%
Up to 1x a week 10.53%
Several times a month 9.44%
Up to 1x a month 10%
At least 1x every 6 months 6.98%
At least 1x per year 6.6%
Never 44.4%
That 44.4% is a tough crowd ey?
Attitudes towards vegan food in Canada
Customers across demographics were asked whether they would try a plant based patty.
Of which, 67% of those aged 18-34 said yes; 62% of those aged 35-54 said yes; as did 52% of those 55+. This data shows a majority positive attitude towards plant-based alternatives, particularly among the younger generation.
In a 2020 survey, Canadians were asked about their view on plant-based eating, providing insight into the wider population’s thoughts and feelings towards veganism.
Of the survey respondents, 36% were willing to reduce meat consumption, 6.91% do not consume meat, and 30% were “not willing to reduce meat consumption”.
In 2019, survey results also reported 58% of respondents were worried about the increased prevalence of plant-based food due to processing. 26% of Canadians reported having “loved” plant-based meat alternatives.
The rise of plant-based product sales in the Canada
That being said, between 2015 to 2022, meat substitute sales in Canada rose significantly from 2015 to 2022, from 119.9 to 226.7 million! Quite a significant rise in less than a decade!
Milk consumption saw the opposite effect. With the average milk consumption per capita dropping from 70.76 litres, 58.2 litres per capita. Baby steps, baby steps.
Attitudes towards eating less meat in Canada
In 2022, consumers were asked about whether they were eating less meat. On average, 25% of respondents confirmed that they were eating less meat overall, with more detail below:
- 18-19 years 17%
- 20-29 years 21%
- 30-39 years 26%
- 40-49 years 25%
- 50-59 years 29%
- 60-64 years 28%
Of the above age ranges mentioned, those aged between 50-59 were most likely to reduce meat consumption.
Australasia vegan statistics
Vegan product demand in Australasia is on the rise. With over 40% rise in demand for 2022, the following areas saw a rise in demand:
- Restaurant-sourced food and drink 55%
- Supermarkets 52.7%
- Cosmetics and toiletries 47.5%
- Healthcare 43.7%
- Fashion 41.1%
- Household products 40%
Australasia vegan statistics
Vegan product demand in Australasia is on the rise. With over 40% rise in demand for 2022, the following areas saw a rise in demand:
- Restaurant-sourced food and drink 55%
- Supermarkets 52.7%
- Cosmetics and toiletries 47.5%
- Healthcare 43.7%
- Fashion 41.1%
- Household products 40%
Vegans in Australia
According to research, 2% of Australia (500,000 people) were reported to be vegan.
In 2020, a survey was run to discover the main reasons why Australians followed the vegan diet.
The results were as follows:
- Animal welfare 35%
- Health 27%
- Environmentalism 21%
- Religion 4%
- Financial 1%
- Other 11%
The most popular reason why Australians were vegan was for animal welfare purposes.
In another survey, Australian consumers were asked why they consume milk substitutes.
49% of respondents believed it to be a healthier option, whilst only 27% consumed it as a result of an intolerance or allergies.
Vegans in New Zealand
Just under 1% of New Zealand residents are vegan. That said, veganism is on the rise, with a significant amount of people transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, from 2018 to 2021 rising from 10% to 19%.
Europe Vegan Facts
As of 2023, there are an estimated 6.62 million vegans in the European Union, forecasted to rise to 8.25 million by 2033.
In 2019, a survey was run questioning the reasons people choose to go vegan (Respondents could choose multiple answers).
95% of respondents reported it being because of animal welfare, 83.9% because of the environment, and 55.9% because of health reasons.
A surprising 3.8% of Europeans follow a vegan diet due to religious reasons.
European attitudes towards meat reduction
In 2023, European meat consumption (per capita) was 52.1kg. When surveyed regarding their willingness to reduce meat consumption for climate change the results were surprisingly hopeful.
Studies show that 7% of Europeans are already vegan or vegetarian. The same data showed 6% of Europeans are willing to give up meat completely; 55% are willing to eat less meat; whilst 32% answered as “not prepared to reduce” their consumption.
In 2021, a survey was run asking individuals about their likelihood of eating vegan cheese instead of conventional cheese.
- 25% not at all likely
- 23% somewhat likely
- 25% moderately likely
- 16% very likely
- 10 extremely likely
UK vegan statistics
As of 2024, it is estimated that there are around 2.5 million vegans in the UK (or 3.7% of the adult population). Studies show that the number of UK vegans has risen by 1.1 million from 2023 to 2024.
This has seen quite the growth considering in 2019, vegans only made up 2.59% of UK consumers, of those, 0.1% were following a raw vegan diet.
Vegans in the UK, by age group
In 2023, different age groups in the UK were asked if they follow vegan nutrition rules, the results of those who did, were as follows:
- 4% of those aged 18-19 years
- 4% of those aged 20-29 years
- 6% of those aged 30-39 years
- 3% of those aged 40-49 years
- 2% of those aged 50-59 years
- 1% of those aged 60-64 years
Of all age groups surveyed, the highest percentage of vegans were among those aged 30-39 years old, at 6%; The demographic with the lowest percentage of vegans, at 1%, was the age range of 60-64 years old.
When the public was surveyed in 2019 40.7% of respondents perceived vegans as broadly positive, with 49.3% neutral toward the topic. 10% of respondents perceived vegans in a negative light.
UK Reasons for being vegan
In 2021 vegans in the UK were asked why they chose to follow the lifestyle, the respondents could pick multiple answers.
89% of respondents chose to follow to prevent animal cruelty, whilst 88% simply didn’t want to eat animals or animal products.
79% chose to opt for veganism for the environment, whilst 40% of those asked followed for personal health reasons. On average, more women than men were following the diet for health reasons.
Less popular motivations included 6% of respondents were raised vegan as their reason, 4% following someone else and 2% for religious reasons.
Parents & attitudes towards vegan options in schools
Not all parents think introducing vegan options to students in schools is the best idea, but as of 2021, studies show that over ⅔ of parents support school dinners adding vegan options.
With 29.7% of parents completely supporting the concept, and 38.9% of respondents somewhat supporting the idea.
20.8% answered as neutral, and 10.6% claimed to have not that much or no support at all for the idea.
Attitudes towards vegan dog food in the UK
Not everyone will feed their dog vegan food, they are omnivores anyways…
That said, 32% of dog owners surveyed said they would be interested in purchasing dog food if it was good for their dog, and 15.8% had already purchased it and reported their dog enjoying it.
30.4% reported not agreeing with giving a dog vegan food, with 8.4% having already purchased it and their dog not enjoying it.
On the right track…
In 2024, adults in the UK were asked if they plan to stop eating meat, the share of those who plan to are listed below, by generation:
- Generation Z 43%
- Millennials 26%
- Generation X 12%
- Baby Boomers 5%
- Silent Generation 1%
Those who fell off…
Not everyone sticks with the vegan lifestyle for life. In 2019, a survey was run in the UK, asking ex vegans to answer why they chose to stop following a vegan diet.
The leading reason why people chose to abandon the vegan lifestyle was due to inconvenience (lack of choice/availability), for which 29.8% of respondents stated.
22.2% of those surveyed reported reverting to an omnivorous diet for health and other reasons, whilst 3.6% stopped following a vegan diet because of cheese.
Plant based food value in the UK
The UK is the second largest food retail market in Europe, with the value of plant-based foods rising 9% from 2020 to 2022. With plant-based meat being the most developed of all vegan food categories, its value grew by 11% in 2021.
Plant-based milk sales also grew by 24% from 2021 to 2022. The least developed plant-based food category was cream. That said, the market value for plant-based cream grew from 49% between 2020 to 2022.
Nordics vegan facts
Specifically within the Nordic region of Europe, opinions regarding the consumption of vegan food are polarised.
Omnivores are the majority in these Nordic regions:
Norway 80%
Sweden 69%
Denmark 75%
The Nordics’ general attitude towards vegan food options
Norway, Sweden & Denmark were asked: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
“Have no desire to eat more vegan food”
Norway 43%
Sweden 41%
Denmark 45%
“A vegan diet brings too little variation”
Norway 23%
Sweden 30%
Denmark 30%
“Don’t think it tastes any good”
Norway 26%
Sweden 25%
Denmark 27%
Opinions seem a little harsh, but everyone has their reasoning. However, there’s still hope among the Nordic region.
The following (Finland, Sweden, Denmark & Norway) were asked about whether they were willing to stop eating meat. The percentage below indicates those who answered “yes”.
Finland 28%
Sweden 23%
Denmark 18%
Norway 17%
Although over 40% of the Nordic respondents claimed to have “no desire” to eat more vegan food, as of 2023, the plant-based food market is growing regardless.
Revenue of milk substitutes in Nordic countries reached $205.6 million; Revenue of meat substitutes in the Nordic region reached $213.1 million.
Denmark vegan statistics
Sales of plant-based food in Denmark grew by 17% from 2020 to 2022. In fact, the plant-based category sales outpaced that of the equivalent animal products in 2022!
Sweden vegan statistics
In Sweden, the plant based food market grew 0.3% from 2020 to 2022. Swedish consumers are the 3rd highest consumers of plant-based food in Europe.
Despite the slight increase in market growth, Swedish consumers are among the highest per capita plant-based milk consumers, as well as being the 2nd highest consumers of plant-based meat and cheese in the whole of Europe.
Africa vegan statistics & meat consumption facts
We’ll now cover some statistics regarding meat and cheese consumption in African countries.
How much meat is consumed in Africa?
Meat consumption is very much prevalent in Africa, with the average meat supply per capita reaching 16.7kg in 2020, reported to have risen by almost a third from the year 2000 to 2020. This is projected to reduce to 13.0 kg by 2024.
Of the 51 countries surveyed, the top 5 African countries who consumed the most meat were as follows:
- Gabon 67 kg
- Seychelles 62.45 kg
- South Africa 59.76 kg
- Zimbabwe 51.93 kg
- Mauritius 50.55 kg
Of the list, Gabon was the African nation consuming the highest amount of meat at 67kg. These numbers are per capita, per year.
Conversely, the 5 African countries with the lowest consumption of meat per capita:
- Burundi 3.12 kg
- Democratic Republic of Congo 3.25 kg
- Madagascar 5.83 kg
- Nigeria 7.04 kg
- Mozambique 7.55 kg
Burundi consumes the least meat in Africa, at 3.12kg per capita/yearly.
Sources:
statista.com
animalclock.org
vegansociety.com
viva.org.uk
scmp.com
cookunity.com
madeinca.ca
finder.com