Statistics about veganism

Numbers of vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and flexitarians in the UK

*Based on an estimated 55 million adults within a total UK population of 69.5 million as of June 2025.

Recent UK surveys find that about three per cent of adults (around 1.7 million) are vegan. Around five to seven per cent are vegetarian and two to five per cent pescatarian, giving a total of roughly nine to 14 per cent of UK adults (4.8 to 7.7 million) on a fully meat‑free diet, plus about 13 per cent who are flexitarian or mainly plant‑based and eat little or no meat.

Together, this means roughly one in four UK adults (25 per cent) now eats little or no meat, clearly indicating a steady shift toward plant‑based eating.

It is difficult to find accurate global data on how many vegans there are, as different surveys and definitions produce widely varying figures. An Ipsos survey from 2018 estimated that vegans make up about three per cent of the world’s population – over 240 million people – while more recent assessments put the number closer to 80 million, or just over one per cent of the roughly 8.3 billion people worldwide.

The World Population Review suggests that veganism is a steadily growing global movement, with most countries already seeing around one to three per cent of their population identifying as fully vegan and some reaching much higher levels (up to nine per cent in India and Mexico), bringing the global average to roughly two per cent – one in every 50 people on the planet – a meaningful number that reflects an expanding shift toward plant-based living worldwide.

A recent report from a UK-based social science research organisation found similar results, estimating one to three per cent of people in most countries surveyed identify as vegan, with some notable exceptions – India was a striking exception, with one in four respondents identifying as vegetarian and one in 10 as vegan.

If the average proportion of vegans worldwide is around one to three per cent of the global population, that corresponds to roughly 80 to 250 million people. This means that tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people across the globe are already living a compassionate, plant-based lifestyle and, as surveys and reports highlight, these numbers are rising.

These results are very similar to those from surveys of many other countries. In a 2018 Gallup poll from the US, five per cent of American adults identified as vegetarian and two per cent as vegan. In a wider 2018 poll from Ipsos Mori (spanning 28 countries), five per cent of respondents identified as vegetarian, three per cent as vegan and a further three per cent as pescetarian. Similar to findings reported above, one in five people in India (20 per cent) identified as vegetarian.

While veganism itself still represents a relatively small proportion of the population in most countries, flexitarian diets are far more widespread. In most surveyed countries, between 16 and 30 per cent of respondents described themselves as flexitarian, signalling a clear willingness to reduce animal product consumption. Such a large‑scale reduction in meat consumption has the potential to reshape food systems, animal use and environmental impacts on a global scale.

The UK vegan population has gone from being a small fringe group made up of just tens of thousands in the 1980s and 1990s, through the low hundreds of thousands in the 2000s and early 2010s, into the low millions range by the mid-2020s, reflecting a steady rise in both absolute numbers and as a share of the population.

Current estimates place vegans at roughly two to three per cent of UK adults, alongside a much larger group reducing meat consumption.

Veganuary has inspired and supported millions of people worldwide to try a vegan diet, with participants joining from almost every country. In January 2026 alone, more than one in ten UK adults joined in and globally, over 30 million people took part, making it the campaign’s most successful year yet.

Breakdowns of dietary choice by age

UK surveys show that younger adults are more likely to be vegan; 4.3 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 3.1 per cent of 25 to 49-year-olds identified as vegan in 2026 compared to 1.9 per cent of 50 to 64-year-olds and less than one per cent of over 65s. This is good news as younger people pass their diets down to their children, so it’s likely that the number of vegans will continue to grow.
Source: YouGov, 2026.

Surveys from other countries also tend to report higher rates of vegetarians and vegans in younger people. Polls from the US and other countries find similar results. Averaged across the 28 countries included in the 2018 Ipsos survey, six per cent of under-35s reported to be vegetarian, compared to three per cent in the over-35s.

The vegan food market

The global food market gives a strong indication of how veganism is expanding worldwide: no matter which survey you look at, there is a clear and substantial rise in demand for vegan foods.

Furthermore, because meat-free diets are much more popular among younger consumers than older generations, plant-based food is set to become increasingly central to the UK food market in the years ahead – and this shift is already becoming clear. In 2020, supermarket sales of plant-based food in the UK were valued at almost £403 million; in 2026, this figure is expected to reach around £719 million.

Here’s more research showing how the vegan bubble is far from bursting!

• Grand View Horizon: The UK vegan food market is expected to grow by 11.5 per cent each year from 2027, reaching a projected value of £1.3 billion by 2033
• Circana: Between 2004 and 2025, the European plant-based food market grew 5.1 per cent year-on-year across six countries (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands) and is now worth €16.3 billion
• Precedence Research: In 2025, the global vegan food market was estimated to be worth around USD 22.3 billion and is predicted to increase to USD 60.4 billion by 2035
• Grand View Research: The global vegan food market was estimated at USD 22.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 52.6 billion by 2033 as more consumers become aware of the links between diet and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, as well as sustainability and animal welfare
• Research and Markets: The global vegan food market size has grown rapidly in recent years and is expected to grow by 11.2 per cent each year from USD 34.5 billion in 2026 to USD 52.7 billion in 2030, driven in part by a growing demand for sustainable diets

While there is some small variation in the projected figures above, the direction is the same across all estimates – the only way is up!

Meat-free alternatives

While the press loves to promote the idea that the vegan bubble has burst, the research tells a very different story. Although sales of some vegan meat alternatives have fluctuated, a 2025 study in Nutrition Reviews found that supermarkets’ own-brand plant-based meat products were growing in popularity, with sales value up by 14 per cent and the amount people bought up by six per cent over the previous year. This shows more shoppers are choosing plant-based options and that the market is expanding, even as prices have risen slightly.

Furthermore, growing numbers of consumers are turning to wholefood plant proteins such as lentils and tofu. In 2025, Tesco reported chilled plant-based food volume up nearly one per cent across UK supermarkets (1.7 per cent in late 2025), with vegan mince surging 25 per cent; tofu, tempeh and seitan up 12 per cent; and snacks such as falafels rising over five per cent. This, they suggest, reflects a ‘green shoots’ recovery driven by health-focused, minimally processed options.

Good Food Institute research mirrors these findings, showing that while sales of some premium branded products may have fallen, supermarket own-brand plant-based meat products – such as budget burgers or sausages – are still growing in sales. They also found that wholefood options such as tofu and falafel are gaining popularity as cheaper, healthier choices. This shows how the market is stabilising and adapting – far from collapsing, it is becoming more diverse and accessible.

Yes – profoundly. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy all depend on the exploitation and killing of animals, often after lives of intense confinement, stress and suffering. By going vegan, you withdraw your support from that system and choose a kinder way to live.

Animals killed:

• 1.2 billion land animals are killed for meat in the UK every year, plus over one billion fish and 4.4 billion shellfish
• Every year, over one billion chickens, nine million turkeys, 13 million sheep and lambs, 10 million pigs, 2.9 million cows and 11 million ducks and geese are slaughtered in the UK for human consumption
• Globally, more than 85 billion land animals are killed for meat every year, plus many trillions of fish and shellfish

See references and find out more here.

Animal agriculture in the UK:

Chickens

• Bred for rapid growth, broiler chickens can weigh four to five times as much as layer hens, with breast muscles growing up to eight times faster, causing deformed skeletons and agonising pain
• There are around 43 million egg-laying hens in the UK – 21 per cent caged, 72 per cent free range (including four per cent organic) and seven per cent barn
• Around 14.5 billion eggs were consumed in 2025
• The egg industry gases 40 to 45 million male chicks each year because they cannot lay eggs and are considered to be of no financial value
• Chickens are intelligent, social animals that communicate using more than 24 vocalisations – chicks and mothers even ‘talk’ before hatching
• Chickens can count up to five from birth, display self-control, learn socially, form episodic memories and even deceive others for their own benefit
• ‘Spent’ layer hens are typically killed at around 18 months (72 weeks), their bodies worn out from intensive egg production
• Broiler chickens are killed at just six to seven weeks old
• A hen’s natural lifespan is five to eight years and, in some cases, up to 12 years

For more info see here and here.

Pigs

• The UK pig population totals around 4.7 million animals at any one time, including piglets, growing pigs and breeding pigs
• Over 10 million pigs are slaughtered in the UK every year
• There are around 10,000 pig farms in the UK, but 92 per cent of production comes from just 1,600 farms. For example, Cranswick alone ‘processes’ around 36,000 pigs every week
• Around 96 per cent of pigs are ‘finished’ indoors (including outdoor-born pigs), confined in overcrowded barren pens with little or nothing to do. Only four per cent live outdoors for their entire lives
• Between 70 and 80 per cent of pigs are tail-docked, while around 60 per cent of sows are confined in farrowing crates when giving birth
• Pigs are considered among the most intelligent animals on earth and can outperform dogs, primates, dolphins and even human toddlers in some tasks. They can even learn to play computer games
• Adult pigs will run, play and even dance when given freedom and stimulation. They also wag their tails when happy
• Pigs are highly sensitive and emotional animals. They can recognise and respond to the emotions of other pigs and show empathy in ways similar to dogs, wolves, great apes and humans
• Most pigs bred for meat are killed at just five to six months old, while breeding sows are typically killed after three to five litters at around three years of age
• A pig’s natural lifespan can reach up to 20 years

For more information see here.

Cows

• There are around four million beef cattle and around three million dairy cows (including young heifers not yet producing milk) in the UK at any given time
• Dairy cows endure repeated impregnation and calf separation, and many suffer lameness or mastitis before being slaughtered, worn out from producing around 27 litres of milk each day
• Cows can solve problems, complete mazes and learn new tasks, often showing excitement when successful. They form strong social bonds, remember familiar individuals, hold grudges and display playfulness
• Cows show emotional depth, including maternal protectiveness, and mothers often grieve when their calves are taken away
• Tens of thousands of male dairy calves are killed every year because they cannot produce milk and are considered of little financial value
• Over two million beef cattle were slaughtered in 2024, along with more than half a million ‘spent’ dairy cows
• Prime beef cattle are slaughtered at an average age of 22 to 23 months, while ‘spent’ dairy cows are typically killed at around six years old
• A cow’s natural lifespan can exceed 20 years, and some sanctuary cows live into their 30s

For more information see here and here.

Fish and shellfish

• In the UK, an estimated 1.5 to 2.7 billion wild fish are killed for food every year, excluding bycatch and illegal or unreported fishing
• More than 50 million farmed fish are raised in the UK, spending their lives crowded in barren tanks or cages where disease, injury and stress are common before slaughter
• Around 4.4 billion shellfish are killed annually, excluding bycatch
• Contrary to outdated views, fish are highly sentient beings with complex social behaviour and feel pain just like other animals

Factory Farms

It’s estimated that globally, three-quarters – 74 per cent – of land-based ‘livestock’ are factory-farmed. That means that at any given time, around 23 billion animals are confined on these farms.

In the UK, there are over 1,000 large-scale ‘mega-farms’, which in the US are defined as those that hold more than 125,000 birds reared for meat, 82,000 egg-laying hens, 2,500 pigs, 700 dairy cows or 1,000 beef cattle.

Factory farms provide the ideal environment for disease spreading, contributing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and posing a potential pandemic risk due to high animal densities.

Absolutely! As well as the misery endured by animals in factory farms, intensive farming is responsible for significant air and water pollution from large volumes of concentrated animal waste, which releases ammonia and methane into the air and can contaminate waterways through runoff, leaks and excess nutrient spreading.

Animal agriculture, including animal feed production, contributes around one-fifth of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
Xu et al., 2021.

Producing meat, fish, eggs and dairy is highly inefficient: animal agriculture (including aquaculture) uses 83 per cent of global farmland and produces 60 per cent of food-related greenhouse gas emissions but provides just 18 per cent of calories and 37 per cent of protein.
Poore and Nemecek, 2018.

Globally, 42 per cent of crops are used for animal feed – rising to 83 per cent in Canada, 81 per cent in the US, 73 per cent in Germany, 68 per cent in France, 61 per cent in Italy and 58 per cent in the UK. This is an inefficient use of resources; it would make much more sense for humans to eat these crops.
Harwatt et al., 2022.

Cow’s milk produces around three times more emissions, uses 10 times as much land, and uses two to 20 times more freshwater than plant-based milks – see the table below for details.
Poore and Nemecek, 2018.

A healthy vegan diet offers a multitude of benefits from maintaining a healthy weight to protecting you from obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer – the UK’s biggest killers. It may also reduce the risk of dementia and help you enjoy a long and healthy life.

125,000 deaths were associated with unhealthy diets in the UK in 2022. Of these, 22,900 were associated with insufficient consumption of nutritious plant-based foods and 49,000 were associated with the excess consumption of dairy, red and processed meat.
Lancet Countdown, 2025.

A large study of over 70,000 people looking at their animal and plant protein intake found that those who ate the most plant protein and the least animal protein were 27 per cent less likely to die from heart disease, 28 per cent less likely to die from a heart attack and also 28 per cent less likely to die from a stroke compared to people who ate the most animal protein.
Budhathoki et al., 2019.

Looking specifically at vegan and vegetarian diets, several major reviews found matching results – these diets are associated with lower cholesterol levels and an 18-41 per cent lower risk of heart disease
Appleby and Key, 2016; Dinu et al., 2017; Kahleova et al., 2017; Dybvik et al., 2023; Ocagli et al., 2023; Baroni et al., 2024.

And one analysis combining data from over 150,000 people found that vegans had a 75 per cent lower risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) and up to 55 per cent lower risk of heart disease!
Le and Sabaté, 2014.

Vegans tend to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than meat-eaters. One large UK study found vegans had a 47 per cent lower risk before BMI adjustment, suggesting it is their lower BMI contributing to the lower risk.
Papier et al., 2019.

An American study revealed that vegans had a 62 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Tonstad et al., 2013.

Randomised controlled trials looking at vegan diets show a clear drop in body weight (several kilograms on average), lower BMI, lower HbA1c (a key blood sugar measure) and lower LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol. Other reviews back this up, showing vegan eating greatly improves heart and diabetes risk factors for people who are overweight or living with diabetes.
Termannsen et al., 2022.

A large US study found that people eating the most red meat had a 49 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those eating the least.
Ba et al., 2026.

Another large study (over 600,000 people) found animal protein was linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Every 20-gram increase – less than one serving of bacon – was linked to a seven per cent higher risk. For every 20 grams of animal protein replaced with plant protein, the risk fell by 20 per cent.
Fotouhi Ardakani et al., 2024.

A study from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health followed over 200,000 adults for 36 years and found those eating the most haem iron (the type of iron found in red meat) had a 26 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those consuming the least.
Wang et al., 2024.

A review of 31 studies looking at diet and diabetes risk in nearly two million people across the world found all types of meat were linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but red and processed meat had the greatest effect.
Li et al., 2024.

Consistent findings across randomised controlled trials (RCTs) show that vegan diets produce a greater weight loss than other types of diets in intervention trials. What’s more, this effect is typically achieved without portion restriction.
Termannsen et al., 2022.

A large UK cohort found the total cancer risk was 12 per cent lower in fish-eaters, 11 per cent lower in vegetarians and 19 per cent lower in vegans compared with meat-eaters.
Key et al., 2014.

The Adventist Health Study-2 found similar results with total cancer risk for vegetarians being eight per cent lower than in meat-eaters but 16 per cent lower in vegans. For cancers specific to women, the benefit was even stronger – 34 per cent lower.
Tantamango-Bartley et al., 2013.

A large, pooled analysis of 1.8 million people spread across the globe found that vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of several cancers, including breast, prostate, kidney and pancreatic cancer, although effects may vary by cancer type.
Dunneram et al., 2026.

The evidence confirms that plant-based diets remain one of the most effective ways to protect your health. Filling your plate with fruits, vegetables, pulses, wholegrains, nuts and seeds is the best way to support healthy weight and reduce the likelihood of chronic disease. Choosing a vegan lifestyle isn’t just a personal preference – it’s a science-backed strategy for long-term wellbeing.

If you want to know more, Viva! Health are the experts in vegan nutrition – the number one place to go for information on diet and health!

Find out more here.