India has the highest share of vegetarians in the country compared to other select countries in 2024, according to the Statista Consumer Insight survey. Over a ***** of Indian respondents reported following a vegetarian diet, compared to only ***** percent in the United Kingdom. Meat substitutes market in Europe The United Kingdom and Germany hold second and third place respectively for the highest share of vegetarians in the country. Both countries have also increased their production of vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes in recent years. Germany’s meat substitute production increased by over ** percent between 2019 and 2021 and amounted to ******* metric tons. Consumption in the UK is forecast to exceed ******* metric tons by 2028. Health and wellness food trends Cutting out meat and animal byproducts is one of many health and wellness trends adopted by consumers to lead a healthier lifestyle. Other wellness trends include reducing sugar intake, using supplements such as vitamins or probiotics, and purchasing organic products. Globally, the functional and natural health food market is expected to reach ***** billion U.S. dollars by 2026, and it is likely this trend will only continue to grow.

In 2024, about **** million people in Germany were either vegetarians or largely forgo meat consumption. Since 2014, the number of people identifying as either complete or nearly complete vegetarians has grown noticeably. Trends in German meat consumption Per capita meat consumption in Germany has changed in recent years. Except for poultry, pork and beef saw noticeable annual decreases. Consumption of meat and sausage products, for which the country is well known, varied by product, giving rise to the idea that Germans are no longer totally hesitant to give up on meat or sausages. The German vegetarian and vegan meat Substitute market The decline in German meat consumption is accompanied by a rise in the production of vegan and vegetarian meat substitutes. In 2021, close to ******* tons of these alternatives were produced in Germany. Just in the two since 2019 this production has grown by almost ****** tons. In monetary value, this means a production of meat substitutes worth close to *** million euros.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in December of 2021, almost ** percent of respondents who answered to follow a vegetarian diet classified themselves as flexitarian. A flexitarian diet is defined as being mostly plant-based and only occasionally allowing the consumption of meat and other animal products. In the same survey, only *** percent of respondents that ate plant-based food considered themselves vegan. Although this number seems small, there is a notable growth in the vegan population in South Korea. Most people who had plant-based diets followed no strict vegetarian or vegan diet but rather a partially vegetarian diet. Nevertheless, partial and more restrictive vegetarian diets accounted only for a small share of the population.

br> Which plant-based products can be found in South Korea? While some vegetarian diets are very similar to a general omnivorous diet, such as flexitarian or pescatarian variants which limit only the frequency of consumption for a certain food group, other diets are more restrictive. Animal product substitutes have become an important part of vegetarian diets, as they offer a broader choice of ingredients and meals in addition to providing all of the necessary nutrients. Prominent trends in recent years in South Korea are the growing market for meat substitutes as well as the equally increasing demand for dairy alternatives. Soy-based products, such as tofu and soymilk, always have been a staple in the Korean market for a long time, but now other alternatives like egg substitutes and nut or oat milk are finding their way into the shopping bags of consumers.

 What are the reasons for eating plant-based or vegetarian diets?

According to another survey conducted in 2021, over 70 percent of respondents stated that they had tried plant-based substitute products before regardless of their general diet, reflecting the high awareness about such products in South Korea. The main reason for choosing plant-based alternatives was the belief that plant-based foods were healthier than others. Other important reasons were animal welfare and environmental concerns connected to livestock farming. Those two reasons were especially prominent among people of the younger MZ generations. The hurdles plant-based foods faced in the South Korean market were mostly tied to the taste or texture of the product and the relatively higher prices.

There were approximately 1.3 million Canadians who followed a vegetarian diet in 2015. A further 0.7 million consumers classed themselves as vegan in Canada. The highest rates of vegetarianism and veganism were found in British Columbia in that year, whilst the lowest rates were found in the Atlantic and Prairies regions. What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan? Someone who is vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish or shellfish. Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism: vegans do not eat any animal or animal-derived products. This includes any dairy products, eggs, gelatin etc. Those who follow more stringent vegan diets may also cut out foods such as honey. People can have various motives for following such diets, including religious, health, environmental and moral reasons. Plant-based substitutes in Canada Those following a vegetarian or vegan diet may choose to include more plant-based meat and/or dairy substitutes in their diet. Retail sales of meat substitutes were forecast to reach around 148.9 million U.S. dollars by 2022 in Canada, a projected increase of over 40 million dollars from 2019. According to a recent survey, some 80 percent of Canadian respondents who had tried plant-based meat alternatives either loved or liked the taste.

More and more consumers are adopting vegetarian and vegan diets in the United States. Where only *** percent of Americans over the age of 50 consider themselves vegetarian, *** percent of Millennials and Gen Z have given up meat. The same goes for veganism, where the younger generations have taken on the diet at nearly double the rate of older Americans. Plant-based diets A vegetarian diet is one which excludes the consumption of meat and in some cases animal-derived foods such as eggs and milk. A vegan diet is characterized by abstaining from the consumption of all animal products, which can extend to products like honey as well. People who adopt these diets do so for either ethical, dietary, environmental concerns, or a combination of all three. While there are health benefits attributed to these diets, primarily a lower incidence of heart disease, they must be carefully constructed in order to receive the nutrients that are normally ingested from animal products. A recent survey of Millennial American consumers showed that the purported health benefits of a meat-free diet was the main reason for adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. Plant-based food sales Sales of plant-based foods experienced rapid growth in 2018. Compared to the previous year, plant-based meals sales grew by ** percent and meat alternatives by ** percent. The sales values of these categories were worth *** million and *** million dollars respectively. Milk alternatives are still the highest selling segment of plant-based foods, valued at *** billion dollars in 2018.

In 2024, the number of vegans was estimated to be *** million. Based on survey results, another *** million intend to follow the diet in the future. A combined **** million more are going meatless and either follow a vegetarian, vegan, or pescetarian diet. How many vegans are there really? Due to the small share of vegans in a population, it is often difficult to get a reliable estimate of how many vegans can be found in any given population. Often the margin of error in a survey is larger than the share of vegans found. In the United States, for example, depending on the survey, you can find survey results ranging from *** to **** percent of the population. Across Europe, the overwhelming majority of countries have ***** percent or less of their population following a vegan diet. Healthy eating & Veganism In the United Kingdom, consumers cite health reasons among the top factors that might encourage them to adapt a vegan or vegetarian diet. Almost a quarter of women named health reasons, while ** percent of their male counterparts had a similar standpoint. For men, this made it the leading reason, while women named animal welfare as high as health. Consumers in the United States who have already adopted a vegan or vegetarian diet also frequently named the desire to eat healthier as one of the reasons they adopted their current diet. Two in five vegans and vegetarians in the U.S. named healthier eating, only animal welfare ranked slightly higher.

What is the share of vegetarian and vegan individuals in Italy? From 2014 to 2024, the share of vegetarian people in Italy showed some fluctuations. According to the survey, *** percent of respondents declared to be vegetarian in 2014. Whereas, this value went up to *** percent in 2024. The share of Italian vegan individuals more than tripled during this period. For instance, *** percent of the interviewees claimed to be vegan in Italy in 2024. Reasons behind vegetarianism and veganism in Italy There are undoubtedly several reasons for becoming vegetarian or vegan. In 2021, most Italian vegetarians or vegans chose to change their dietary lifestyle mainly due to their personal philosophy of life. Secondly, many respondents claimed to have made this choice for health reasons, or out of respect for animals. The profile of vegetarian people in Italy Although the share of vegetarians in Italy decreased from 2014 to 2023, vegetarianism was more common than veganism in Italy as of 2023. Furthermore, most Italian vegetarians were aged between 25 and 34 years old. There were less vegetarian men than women. Finally, they came especially from the macro-regions of the North-East, and the Center of Italy.

In 2024, around **** percent of responding German consumers between 18 and 64 years of age followed a vegan diet. In Brazil, China, Mexico, and the U.S., between two and **** percent of respondents ate vegan diets. The noteworthy standout is India, where about ******* of respondents said they typically follow a vegan diet. The survey was carried out in four quarterly waves among online users. Veganism in the European Union The share of adults following a vegan diet in the European Union (EU) varies considerably among the different generations. According to a recent survey, Gen Z had the highest share of vegans in the EU, with approximately **** percent. In comparison, among Generation X and the Baby Boomers, the share of vegans was only *** percent. In general, the share of vegans in the EU tends to be higher among younger generations. The number of vegans in the EU is forecast to grow from about *** million in 2023 to almost *** million by 2033. Veganism in Germany Germany has a particularly high share of young adults who are vegan or vegetarian, as compared to other European countries. Approximately *** and ****** percent of young adults in Germany classify themselves as vegan or vegetarian, respectively. Moreover, being vegan in Germany has become considerably easier over the years. The number of vegan restaurants in Germany has almost ********** throughout the last decade, adjusting to the growing demand for alternatives to animal products. While there were only *** purely vegan restaurants in 2014, a total of *** vegan restaurants were counted in 2024. The growing demand for animal alternatives can also be observed in the production volume of vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes in Germany. The volume of vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes produced has grown from approximately ****** tons in 2019 to about ******* tons in 2023.

As of March 2018, British Columbia was the Canadian province with the highest rates of vegetarianism and veganism. Some *** percent of survey respondents in British Columbia stated that they were vegetarian, whilst some *** percent claimed to be vegan. The Prairies had the lowest rate of vegetarianism, and the Atlantic region had the lowest rate of veganism.

What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan?

Someone who is vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish or shellfish. Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism: vegans do not eat any animal or animal-derived products. This includes any dairy products, eggs, gelatin etc. Those who follow more stringent vegan diets may also cut out foods such as honey. People can have various motives for following such diets, including religious, health, environmental and moral reasons.

Opinions on plant-based foods in Canada

In a recent survey, some 43 percent of Canadian stated that they would eat a plant-based substitute for meat. Females aged between 18 and 34 are the demographic most likely to view eating more plant-based foods and products as a positive choice. Despite British Columbia having the highest levels or vegetarianism and veganism, Canadians in the Atlantic provinces are most likely to view eating more plant-based foods positively.

According to a 2018 survey, **** percent of Europeans were vegetarians. Not eating meat was especially popular in Italy and the United Kingdom. Of the Italians taking part in this survey, *** percent stated to be vegetarian. By comparison, among the Czechs this was only *** percent.

In 2019 a nationally representative survey of Australians found that just ***** percent of respondents were vegetarian. Combined with pescatarians and vegans around ** percent of the population had a diet that restricted their intake of animal products.

According to a survey conducted in 2021, ** percent of Indians were vegetarians and ** percent were selective meat eaters. Similarly, **** percent were vegans while around ***** percent were pescatarians.

In 2025, the largest share of vegans, at *** percent, could be found in London. In contrast, the smallest proportion of the population that identified themselves as vegan could be found in the Rest of the South and the Midlands. Here the share of vegans was close to *** percent. Scotland and Wales showed a share of vegans twice as high as the Midlands. Other facts about Veganism in the UK It is estimated that about *** million people in the UK followed a vegan diet in 2024. The exact number is disputed and can vary from source to source; however, it seems clear that the number of vegans has been growing. Other estimates put the share of vegans at ***** percent of the UK internet population (excluding children and seniors over 65), which would put the number of vegans at around *** million in 2025. Ethical motivations and healthier living are the main drivers for becoming a vegan in the UK. A growing importance of ethical consumerism Ethical dimensions increasingly drive consumer spending, whether these are animal-welfare and environmental concerns - in the case of veganism and vegetarianism in particular - or concerns for human rights and social justice. Average household spending on ethical food in the UK has reached ****** million British pounds.

In 2025, about **** percent of responding 20 to 29-year-olds in the United Kingdom stated that they followed a vegan diet. Respondents under fifty were **** likely to be vegans than those over. With small shares of the population, it is often difficult to track the number of actual vegans, as an error of only one percent in a survey can significantly change the size of the expected vegan population. Veganism worldwide Global interest in veganism has increased during the last decades. In January 2022, Just under 630 thousand people participated in Veganuary, a global campaign to get people to only eat vegan food during January, led by a British non-profit organization. By comparison, the figure was ***** in 2016. According to a survey, India has the largest share of vegans worldwide, as about ** percent of the population follows a vegan diet. India is followed by China and the United States (U.S.), where the share of vegans is approximately * and * percent, respectively. Veganism in the UK Wales, Scotland, and London are the regions where more consumers than in the rest of the country want to participate in Veganuary. In Wales, the share of survey respondents that said it wanted to try to follow a vegan diet was ***** percent. In the other two regions it was *** percent. The south of England showed the least interest overall. The interest in Veganuary is especially high among the youngest consumers, as ** percent of 18 to 24-year-olds have decided to take part in the challenge and live a vegan lifestyle for the entire month. The share of vegans in the United Kingdom (UK) varies among regions. The largest share of vegans in the UK can be found in London, at **** percent. The share of vegans in Scotland is approximately * percent. As with interest in Veganuary, the South brings up the rear.

Conscious meat consumption is a topic regularly debated in the Netherlands. The vegetarian community in the country is small but growing: whereas in 2017 six percent of survey respondents stated to consider themselves vegetarian, by 2023 that figure had reached nine percent. Among flexitarians however, that is part-time vegetarians who consciously avoid meat at least one day a week, the trend witnessed more fluctuations over the years. As of 2023, ** percent of survey respondents considered themselves flexitarians, an ***** percent loss compared to the previous year and only *** percent more than in 2017.

The young vegetarian  Not eating meat is particularly popular among the younger generations in the Netherlands. A 2024 survey found that the largest share of vegetarians is to be found among 18-to-29 year-olds. Flexitarians on the other hand were mostly distributed among 18-to-19 year-olds and 30-to-39 year-olds.

Reasons to go vegetarian Vegetarians have different motives to stop eating meat. According to a 2024 survey, the main reasons to go vegetarian included concerns about animal welfare, environmental protection, and personal health. Interestingly, the price of animal products also factored in, as indicated by close to ** percent of respondents.

A survey on the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle conducted in Indonesia in April 2022 found that around ** percent of respondents were vegetarians or vegans. In comparison, about ** percent of respondents chose to quit these lifestyles after giving them a try.

In four surveys carried out between during 2024, approximately **** percent of people in the U.S. aged between 18 and 19 said they were following a vegan diet. The share of vegans among respondents aged between 40 and 49 was at ***** percent. Veganism in the U.S. Consumers who follow a vegan diet do not eat or drink any products derived either wholly or partly from animals. Besides moral concerns about animal welfare, there are many other reasons for only consuming vegan products. The second most common reason for becoming vegan or pursuing a non-meat diet is to have a healthier diet. Meat-substitute products in the United States The main reasons for eating meat-substitutes are that consumers consider them healthier than meat products, or think that they benefit the environment. Nearly ** percent of surveyed consumers in the U.S. are consuming meat-substitute products once a month or more often. About ** percent of Americans have increased their consumption of protein by eating more meat substitutes.

This statistic shows the share of people who are vegetarian in leading countries in Europe in 2016. Italy has the largest share of vegetarians in Europe at *** percent of the total population, followed by the United Kingdom (UK), Germany and Austria with **** percent of the population each. Levels of vegetarianism in Europe have seen rapid growth in recent years due to multiple factors, including issues relating to health consciousness, environmental protection and ethical reasons relating to the killing of animals.

As of 2021, there were around *** million people in South Korea following a vegan diet. The number of vegans has increased tenfold from 2008 to 2018, and has shown a growth of around 67 percent in the three years after that.

Animal welfare topped the list of motivations for vegetarians and vegans of why they follow their diet in the United States. The survey, from early 2024, found that roughly ** percent of respondents named this as a one of the reasons they currently follow their diet.