The Global Vegetarian Population Is Dominated by Developing Countries

countries with the highest rates of vegetarianism

The global vegetarian population is dominated by developing countries. Even in developed countries, the number of health-conscious and environmentally conscious consumers is increasing, resulting in a surge in the vegetarian industry.

Young, urban, middle-and high-income vegetarians are driving the new vegetarian diet trend in rising economies like China, Indonesia, and India.

They’re a small but growing segment of the vegetarian food and home appliance market. There are several healthy and ethical living trends that are affecting today’s consumer choices, including plant-based diets.

In order to gain the trust of vegetarians, brands can make use of this all-inclusive strategy. In existing as well as developing markets aimed towards new vegetarian consumers.

Convenience, health, and sustainability are all characteristics that brands and merchants need to highlight.

It’s a great time to be a vegan; the movement’s popularity and adoption are at all-time highs. A dependable source of big data was used once again by our team to assess the international popularity of veganism and find out how the epidemic had an impact on its popularity around the world.

Using Google Trends, you can see how popular various search terms like “veganism” are all across the world, in any language.

Many vegan-related searches, such as “vegan recipes near me” or “vegan restaurants near me,” reveal a definite intention to eat vegan, even if they are made out of curiosity.

Veganism’s meteoric rise has not been slowed by the pandemic, but rather accelerated. A surge in searches for vegan recipes has occurred since lockdowns were lifted in the majority of the world’s nations. According to HappyCow, an online vegan restaurant directory, more vegan restaurants have opened than closed during the pandemic. A company that specializes in plant-based cuisine, ImpossibleFoods, just announced record sales.

According to the number of countries where meat and dairy-based food have traditionally been the norm, veganism is gaining favour. So, in 2020, where will veganism be most popular? Please take your seats.

The top five most populous countries in the world (13%) are Brazil (8%), the United Kingdom (9%), Germany (9%), Austria (9%), Italy (10), Taiwan (12%), Italy, and Israel.Thirteen percent of Israelis are vegetarians; the figure is similar in India (38 %). With 38% of the overall population being vegetarian, India is the world’s most populous vegetarian nation.

Table of Contents

The British Isles (United Kingdom)

Increasingly, more people in the UK are turning vegan, thanks to Veganuary and extensive media coverage. For the third consecutive year, the UK is the most popular country in the world for veganism (it shared first place with Australia in 2018). Five of the world’s top 15 cities for plant-based eating are located in the United Kingdom.

Australia

For a period of two years, Australia had the world’s largest vegan population and was the most popular vegan destination worldwide.

As a result of climate change and significant heatwaves in Australia, the discussion about farming and meat consumption has only grown. Australia has seen a decrease in meat consumption, yet the country still consumes more meat per capita than most other countries.

Israel

Israel is certainly embracing the vegan craze, as evidenced by the fact that over 5% of its people identify as vegan. Health, the environment, and animal cruelty all play a role in this issue.

One thing that sets Israel apart from other newly created countries is the area’s traditional Mediterranean diet and the rigorous dietary regulations of Kosher food, which separate meat, dairy, and pave food (which is almost entirely vegan except for seafood gelatin and honey).

The immigrant mentality of looking for something new is a significant reason why veganism has become so popular in this region, where less than half of the population is native.

Austria

Check out Wikipedia’s list of the 16 most popular Austrian meals, where horseradish, onions, and sauerkraut are the only vegetables.

In this light, it is reassuring to see Austria at its highest level of veganism ever and ranked 4th in the world’s most vegan-friendly nations. There are now vegan schnitzels and strudels available, according to Vegan onboard, which estimates that 1.2 percent of the population is vegan.

There’s a country in the Pacific Ocean called New Zealand

New Zealand may have slid in the rankings (it rose to 3rd place in 2018), but that’s more due to Israel and Austria’s surge than a decrease in Kiwi enthusiasm for becoming a vegan nation.

Meat-free eating increased by 15% in 2019, which is a major concern for a meat-based economy.

Germany

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Germans are leading Europe’s “vegalution,” or vegan revolution. Germany is known for its large consumption of pork.

Today, approximately 10% of the population is vegetarian, and 1.6% is vegan, making it the most vegan-friendly country in Europe. Several German cities are among the world’s top 15 producers of meat substitutes, and the country as a whole is on the rise.

Sweden

Veganism is on the rise in this health-conscious and environmentally conscientious country, despite the fact that the long winters make it impossible to grow large quantities of vegetables. Consequently, it is the first vegan school in the Nordic countries and a major player in the development of vegan food.

Switzerland

Many Swiss people are reducing or eliminating meat from their diets, according to a recent survey. Those are massive numbers. The result is more representative of a growing global trend if it includes people who are cutting back on their meat consumption.

Migros, the Swiss retailer, has taken note of this development and has introduced a new V-Love barbeque line just in time for a summer spent at home.

Canada

People are always in the driver’s seat when it comes to dietary reform. The vegan fad was dealt a significant blow in 2018 when Health Canada’s Food Guide ranked plant-based foods higher than meat, seafood, and dairy.

According to one survey, the percentage of Americans who identify as vegan increased by more than 100% between 2018 and 2020. Vegan food isn’t the only thing that’s becoming more popular. When it comes to living a vegan lifestyle, Canadians aren’t playing around; they’re going all in, from cosmetics to clothes.

Ireland

Veganism has long been popular in Ireland, but in recent months, the plant-based diet has gained even more traction. Over a third of Irish respondents indicated they would permanently switch to a vegan diet if given the chance, according to a recent Wellwoman Vegan poll.