34 Vegan Statistics to Be Kind to Every Kind (2024 UPDATE)

Meat is murder. You probably think of this phrase as the slogan of hippies and animal-rights activists, but vegan statistics might just surprise you.

Today veganism isn’t just for radicals. It’s steadily becoming part of mainstream culture.

Keep reading to find out just how big an impact ditching meat can have on the planet and its inhabitants.

Top 10 Key Vegan Facts

23% of the US population started eating more plant-based foods during COVID.
The number of vegans increased by 600% in the US from 2014 to 2017.
94% of Americans are willing to eat more veggies and fruits.
63% of US adults won’t buy meat from companies that mistreat animals.
The average American eats around 27 pigs in his lifetime.
The average vegan in the US makes less than $30,000 a year.
Animal agriculture makes up 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Research has found that vegan women have 34% lower rates of cancer.
About 70 billion farmed animals are killed every year to feed humans.
91% of the Amazon is destroyed due to animal agriculture.

Is eating meat really that bad for you? Is animal farming causing irreparable damage to the environment? Do animals raised for food truly live in deplorable conditions and suffer unspeakable cruelty?

Sadly, the answer to all these questions is a definite yes, as vegan vs. meat-eater facts reveal. Even more upsetting, that’s not all the harm animal-based diets cause. Keep reading to discover more!

What Percentage of the World Is Vegan?

Although the term vegan was initially used to identify people following an animal-free diet, veganism encompasses more than just food choice.

Other products, such as medicine, cosmetics, and clothing made without animal derivatives, can also be vegan.

In short, veganism is now used to describe a lifestyle — one that is against all mistreatment and exploitation of animals.

(WTVOX, Sentient Media)

It’s hard to estimate how many vegans were there in the world in 2018, mainly because many don’t follow a strict vegan diet.

According to an older US survey, 64% of people identifying themselves as vegan or vegetarian had eaten at least 10 grams of meat in the last 24 hours.

2. 23% of the US population has started eating more plant-based foods during the Coronavirus pandemic, considerably increasing the vegan numbers.

(Forbes, Self.inc)

The Covid-19 crisis made us do more than just wash our hands.

The demand for meatless meals is growing according to vegan statistics 2019 in the United States. 70% of the world is either trying to reduce their meat consumption or cut meat out altogether.

3. There were 3.5 million vegans in Great Britain in 2018 as per the demographics of vegans.

(SinglePlatform, BBC)

Up from 150,000 in 2006, vegan statistics in 2018 in the UK clearly show that veganism is growing in popularity among Brits.

Part-time veganism is also on the rise. In 2019, 250,000 people pledged to go vegan as part of the Veganuary campaign, according to veganism statistics for 2019.

4. The number of vegans in Europe is increasing according to vegan history facts.

(EDJNet, FRN)

Although only 6% of people in Europe are vegans and vegetarians, with a share of 39%, the continent is the biggest market for substitute meat in the world.

Other unlikely countries are turning vegan too.

In 2016, the Chinese government issued dietary requirements to cut meat consumption by 50% by 2030.

The Vegan Trend and Statistics in the USA

The number of vegans in the US is increasing due to people’s raised awareness of the harmful effects of following an animal-based diet.

Other factors include farm-animal abuse and the rising number of US adults who are experiencing health issues as a result of the consumption of dairy products.

5. The vegan population in the US increased by 600% from 2014 to 2017.

(SinglePlatform)

According to GlobalData, only 1% of the US population identified as vegan in 2014. Vegan population growth increased to an incredible 6% just three years later.

6. 94% of Americans are willing to eat more veggies and fruits, according to vegan smart nutritional facts.

(Earth Day)

A new study has found that Americans are more open to switching to a plant-based diet. Even 55% of them are willing to eat plant-based meat alternatives.

Additionally, 46% are also ready to switch to dairy alternatives.

7. Sales of plant-based food in the US are on the rise, according to vegan food market statistics.

(GFI

Up from $3.9 billion in 2017, the US meat-free food market was valued at around $5 billion, the vegan statistics for 2019 reveal.

8. One of the interesting facts about veganism is that 63% of US adults don’t want to buy meat from a company with a bad reputation for treating animals.

(Sentient Media)

But, sometimes, it’s easier for people to turn a blind eye. As 43% of Americans state, they “never” or “rarely” check the label for the company’s name that processed the meat.

Labels can also be misleading. Even though 75% of Americans believe they are buying humane products, vegan facts and stats show that only 1% of animals killed for food live on non-factory farms.

9. The average American eats around 27 pigs in his lifetime.

(Mercy For Animals)

Pigs are emphatic animals, proven to be smarter than dogs and even human toddlers.

Just imagine how many of these fantastic animals are killed each year to satisfy the human desire for bacon?

Vegan Demographics

Although veganism spans all ages and cultures, certain groups sway more towards plant-based diets and lifestyles.

10. An interesting vegan fact is that vegans are usually females.

(VeganBits)

Across the world, 67% of vegans are females, as opposed to 33% of men.

[visualizer id=”6013″]

In the US, 22% of vegans are males, while 78% are women.

11. Millennials are more likely to go vegan than older generations, according to vegan demographics for the U.S.

(AHA)

Based on vegan statistics from 2018, 26% of this age group are either vegan or vegetarian.

In fact, this generation is so focused on following a healthy diet that even 34% of meat-eating millennials consume a minimum of four vegetarian meals a week.

12. Vegan facts and myths reveal that millennials may be leading this trend. Still, Gen Zers are set to become even bigger consumers of vegan products.

(Mercy For Animals)

Research has shown that Gen Z generation members consume 57% more tofu, 550% more plant-based milk, and an incredible 266% more avocados than Gen Xers.

13. The average vegan in the US makes less than $30,000 a year.

(Gallup)

Plant-based diets are rarer among people with higher annual incomes.

In terms of political orientation, Liberals are more likely to go vegan (5%) than conservatives (2%).

14. African Americans are 48% more likely to adopt a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle than the average US consumer, according to vegan industry statistics.

(Nielsen)

Hispanic consumers are 46%, and Asian Americans are 47% more likely to follow a plant-based diet than the average American consumer.

Vegan Environmental Statistics

You’d be surprised at how harmful meat production and animal agriculture are to our planet and how much cutting down on animal-based food can help the Earth.

Maybe these stats will teach everyone to care more about the environment.

15. Animal agriculture makes up 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions.

(Million Dollar Vegan, EPA)

This is more than the fuel emissions from the global transport sector. But animal farming doesn’t only pollute water.

According to the EPA, agricultural runoff is the number one contaminant of water in the USA. Facts about veganism and animal farming prove that.

16. Plant food requires less water than meat production, according to veganism environment facts.

(PETA)

It should come as no surprise that animals consume more water than plants. But did you know that it takes around 2,400 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef? On the contrary, growing one pound of whole wheat flour uses only 180 gallons of water.

17. Vegan environmental facts reveal that veganism can help end world hunger.

(Global Citizen)

700 million tons of food that could be eaten by humans are used to feed livestock instead.

Moreover, 83% of farmland worldwide is used to raise livestock rather than growing more diverse and nutritious plants.

18. 91% of the Amazon is destroyed due to animal agriculture.

(Vegan Food and Living)

Yet one more to add to the “why be vegan” facts.

Clearing space for cattle grazing (through wildfires and deforestation) is one of the main reasons behind the destruction of natural habitats in one of the biggest rainforests in the world.

What Happens When You Go Vegan?

Vegans don’t just save the environment; a plant-based diet will also work wonders for your health.

19. Research has found that vegan women have 34% lower rates of cancer based on vegan cancer statistics.

(HuffPost)

Women who followed a vegan diet were less likely to develop female-specific cancers, such as ovarian, breast, and cervical cancer.

Similar rates were found among men and their likelihood of prostate cancer.

20. Replacing eggs with plant proteins lowers the risk of death by 19%, vegan health benefits statistics show.

(The Independent, Science Focus)

On top of that, eliminating red meat from a person’s diet reduced the risk of death by 12%.

What’s more, people who follow plant-based diets are 22% less likely to have a heart attack than people who eat meat.

21. Vegans have a healthier gut, as revealed by vegan food facts.

(Insider, LIVEKINDLY)

A vegan diet increases the number of good bacteria in the digestive system (as a result of extra fiber), which lowers inflammation. Veganism facts also suggest that a plant-based diet improves overall metabolism and reduces the risk of diabetes.

22. People who eat a plant-based diet have a healthier body mass index.

(Medical News Today, Healthline, NCBI)

Another one of the vegan fun facts is that they also find it easier to lose weight and lower their consumption of saturated fats.

Research from a while back indicated that a vegan diet reduces blood sugar levels by 28%.

It also showed that vegans lost an average of 15.8 pounds over 12 weeks as opposed to people on a conventional diet who lost only 8.4 pounds during the same period.

Animals and Vegan Facts and Statistics

Animals are the ones that suffer the most from people’s decision to eat meat and dairy.

Farm animals raised in unimaginable conditions spend their short lives in captivity, waiting to be turned into someone’s breakfast or dinner.

23. About 70 billion farmed animals are killed every year to feed humans.

(Sentient Media, PETA, Faunalytics)

According to the most recent data, pigs are the livestock most commonly killed for their meat.

Every year, 121 million pigs are slaughtered for their meat in the US alone. By going vegan, statistics show that the lives of 550 million sheep killed for food could be saved.

The same goes for millions of other animals slaughtered for their meat.

The saddest thing, though, is that these animals are conceived, born, fed, and killed to provide food that humans don’t even need.

Plants offer 83% of human calories, unlike animal-based food that only contributes 17% of calories to the global diet; facts about the vegan diet show.

24. Lambs have a natural lifespan of 12–14 years, but those bred for slaughter only live 4–12 months.

(Aussie Farms)

Even if they are raised in “organic,” “sustainable,” or “free-range” conditions, animals bred for consumption have much shorter lives than nature intended.

Dairy cows, for instance, are killed around 16 years before the end of their natural lives. Chickens should have longer natural lifespans (eight years), but they are killed for food just five to seven weeks after birth.

25. Factory farming harms the health of animals and people, vegan health facts suggest.

(Sentient Media)

Animals are raised in unsanitary conditions. This contributes to the spread of salmonella and other bacterial infections.

What’s more, antibiotics are a common practice in factory farming. But it leads to the development of viruses and parasites that are resistant to antibiotic treatment.

The number of deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains is so high it’s expected to reach 10 million by 2050.

26. We could have fishless oceans by 2048.

(National Geographic, CNBC)

According to vegan statistics, the average American consumes around 14 pounds of fish and shellfish every year.

Overfishing and increasing fish consumption will leave us with empty oceans in the not-too-distant future. Luckily, plant-based fish products are here to save the day.

27. Meatless Mondays can make a difference.

(One Green Planet)

A study researching the impact of the HSUS’s Meatless Monday campaign from 2012 to 2017 found that implementing the movement in 263 school districts in the US saved 10.3 million land animals’ lives.

And this refers only to land animals, not including dairy products, fish, or eggs, so the number of animals spared could be much higher.

FAQ

28. Is the vegan population on the rise?

Veganism is increasing in popularity worldwide. From Western countries where more and more people are turning to plants as their primary food source to the Asia Pacific, where 9% of the population is vegan.

29. How long has veganism been around?

Evidence of people ditching meat from their diets can be found as early as 500 BCE. It can be traced back to the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras.

He spoke against the abuse of animals and followed a meatless diet.

Around the same time, Buddha also talked about a similar lifestyle with his followers.

30. Who started veganism?

Even though veganism has been around for a long time, the term “vegan” itself wasn’t coined until 1944.

This was when British woodworker Donald Watson created the word to describe vegetarians who didn’t eat dairy and eggs.

31. When did veganism become popular?

The popularity of veganism started to go up with the foundation of the Vegan Society in August 1964. But it wasn’t until the 2000s that the vegan lifestyle really caught on.

By the time the founder of veganism Donald Watson died, there were 250,000 self-identifying vegans in Britain and 2 million in the US.

Celebrities like Woody Harrelson, Moby, and others, raising awareness over the benefits of being vegan, has done much to promote this lifestyle among people.

32. How do vegans get protein?

The daily recommended dose of protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight.

A cup of red lentils has 18 grams of protein, chickpeas have 12 grams per cup, while tofu and quinoa contain 11 grams and 9 grams per cup, respectively.

Other plant-based sources of protein include soy milk, rice, oats, chia seeds, nuts, grains, and numerous fruit and vegetables.

33. What age are most vegans?

Most vegans tend to be aged between 30 and 49. Generally, younger generations are more environmentally friendly and more likely to follow a plant-based diet than older generations.

34. What percent of the US doesn’t eat meat?

The number of vegetarians and vegans in the US is low (5% and 3%, respectively, in 2018).

However, we can’t neglect the number of people following a flexitarian diet, which only occasionally includes meat.

This might just be the best of both worlds. It avoids the overuse of meat but doesn’t cause feelings of guilt to appear if one slips up.

Final Thoughts

These vegan statistics present the good news — one doesn’t have to be a hardcore vegan to make a difference.

Avoiding dairy, eggs, and meat from time to time can be the first step we can all take to help those who can’t help themselves.

Who knows? Cutting down on animal-based food might even inspire some of us to go vegan.