Having examined Vegetarianism as a blanket term in our previous article, we’ll now look at people who are strict Vegans–who do not use or consume any animal product or byproduct. Before that, here is a brief break down of the labels some people use:
- Vegan
No meat of any kind, including no animal products; this means no wearing leather, no eating honey, no eggs, and no milk from any animal. - Vegetarian
No meat, but other animal products are considered okay (such as honey, dairy, or eggs); below are four major distinctions among Vegetarians.
- Pescatarian
The only meat eaten here is fish; some Pescatarians also eat dairy and other animal products, though. - Ovo-Vegetarian
No meat, and the only animal product that’s okay is eggs, such as from chickens or fish roe; no milk, however. - Lacto-Vegetarian
Again, no meat, and this time no eggs, either, but the milk of all animals is okay. - Ovo-Lacto-Vegetarian
A combination of the previous two; so eggs and milk are fine, but still no meat.
Vegan Numbers
Here are some select data that we could uncover about Vegans, apart from other Vegetarians. While there is some crossover, these numbers are only for strict Vegans.
- Sales Share of Vegan Market (Leaders): [1]
India – 13%
- China - 6%
- US - 4%
- Germany - 3%
- Brazil - 3%
- Mexico - 2%
- A strict Vegan diet can significantly reduce Prostate Cancer risk.
[2]
- Gallup Poll: 3% of Americans identify as Vegan.[3]
- This number skews heavily to younger, less-wealthy, more liberal peoples:
- 3-4% of people 18 to 49 are Vegetarian. Only 1-3% of older adults are.
- 4% of people making less than $30,000/year are Vegetarian; only 2% of higher income brackets are.
- 5% of “Liberal” people are Vegetarian; only 1-2% of “Moderate” and “Conservative” people are.
- 16% of Millennials have opted for strict Veganism at some point; this contrasts sharply with only 7% of Gen Xers and 8% of Baby Boomers.
- Further, one source estimates that 70% of all US Vegans are women.[4]
- In the UK, the number of Vegans grew by 400% between 2006 and 2018.[5]
- This brings the total of UK Vegans to over 600,000 people.
- UK numbers are probably influenced by “Veganuary,” the challenge to go without animal products for the month of January.
- In 2014, less than 5,000 people participated.
- By 2019 that number had grown to over 240,00.[6]
- In 2022, the number rose to 630,000 participants.[7]
- Iceland has reported that plant-based food sales have gone up 10% year on end.
- According to Google Trends, Worldwide search interest in Veganism is up 300%.
Some statisticians are already projecting off these numbers, with one source claiming that 25% of the world will go meatless by 2025.[8]
Personal Considerations
We like to peak behind the curtain, as it were, and look at some qualitative data that could indicate people’s attitudes toward their lifestyle choices. Luckily, some of these qualitative evaluations come with quantitative measurements.
- As many as 68% of people who chose Veganism do so because of animal welfare.[9]
- The remaining choose Veganism because for their health (17.4%) and the environment (9.7%).
This same survey had some interesting data about the act of going Vegan itself.
One third of Vegans have been so for at least 2 years.
A quarter of Vegans have transitioned in the current year.
Only 7.1% of Vegans have 10 years experience and only 2.7% have 20 years.
Of all survey respondents, just over half went Vegan instantly.
➔ 37.5% took time to transition.
➔ 6.5% of people stayed Vegan after a challenge to try it.
➔ Only 0.17% were raised Vegan.
52% of Vegans said they transitioned through traditional Vegetarianism. Of them, their motivations for swinging into the most strict form were:
➔ Animal welfare: 75%
➔ Health: 10%
➔ Environment: 5.3%
Alternately, 43.3% of Vegans ate meat immediately before going Vegan.
This survey also gives us data on the triggers for how people choose Veganism, as touched on with the challenge to try it.
- 35.3% of Vegans first considered it after watching some kind of film.
- 17% were influenced by someone they knew.
- 13.2% of people considered Veganism because of social media.
- A startling 11.2% claimed they had no outside influence for choosing Veganism.
- Perhaps more startling, only 3.4% made their decision based on a book, 1.4% because of activism, 1.3% because of a public speaker, and only 1% because of print media.
Market Considerations
As consumers choose Veganism, there is understandably a desire for accountability. After all, one can be reasonably sure that their salad is meatless, but how can someone be sure their lotions, soaps, and other products are free of animal products? In steps the Vegan Society, among other groups. These third-party organizations help consumers choose products made without any animal use.
According to the Vegan Society website:
- The Vegan society has helped 2,500 companies register over 65,000 products as certified Vegan.
➔ 18,000 of those products are consumables.
➔ Around 30,000 are use items, such as hygiene products. - In 20 alone, the Vegan society registered over 16,000 products.
- Showing just how much Veganism is on the rise, 82% of all their product certifications have come in the last 5 years.
The growth from increased Veganism goes beyond food. For instance, many consumers may want animal-free wearable products while they still choose to eat meat. The following data evince these discrepancies.
- The worldwide Vegan food market is a respectable $16 Billion, however,
- By 2019, the worldwide Vegan beauty market was worth almost $400 Billion; [10]
- The faux-leather industry is expected to eclipse $35 Billion by 2029; [11]
- And by 2029, the Vegan footwear market alone could hit $46 Billion. [12]
While this showcases how Vegan attitudes have pervaded more than just food markets, traditional meat producers and their conglomerates are still responding, as 80% of the top meat producers now also make Vegan foodstuffs.[13] In fact, the Vegan milk substitute market alone could go over $21 Billion by next year.
Health Considerations
While some people claim positive health benefits to Veganism, medical professionals do have some warnings. By excluding all animal products–even dairy and eggs–numerous vital nutrients could be missed.
- Eating a Vegan diet can result in low levels of Vitamins B2, B3, B12, and D, as well as the minerals Iodine, Zinc, Calcium, Selenium, and Calcium.
- B12, especially, can be 90% lower than the recommended intake levels.[14]
Those issues aside, there are still positive benefits to going completely Vegan.
- Combined with exercise, Veganism can reduce blood glucose levels in diabetics by 35%.
- Increased fruits and vegetables alone can reduce diabetic risk by 50%.
- If the whole globe went Vegan, it could save 8 million lives in the next 25 years (due to a variety of factors, such as pollution and personal health).[15]
Environmental Outcomes
Some data on the Environment have been collated regarding Veganism, apart from what we covered on general Vegetarianism. Here are some quick hits.
- The University of Oxford (UK) concluded that worldwide Veganism would cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions from farming by 66%.[16]
- These reductions could save $1.5 Trillion in project climate change mitigation spending.
- In addition to Vegetarianism itself, avoiding all animal products is the most impactful way to reduce pollution on an individual level.
- For instance, a Vegan diet and lifestyle around the world could reduce agriculture land use by 76%, and reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by half. [17]
Final Thoughts
Like with our information on Vegetarianism, we’re not trying to tell anyone how to live their lives. But as with all of our work at the Great Green Wall, we want to give you as accurate and fact-based information as we can. That way, you can make the decisions that are best for you, to be your best you.
I hope I’ve covered any curiosities you may have, but I’ve missed something, feel free to drop a comment. I’m always eager to hear from readers.
References
