Things you must know about vegan and vegetarians in Australia. Australians are considered to be one of the most meat-eaters in the world. Although, the latest research shows that many Australians are adopting a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle. Around 11% of Australians follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Nearly 2.5 million Australians (12.1% of the population) now have diets of which the food is all, or almost all, vegetarian, up from under 2.2 million (11.2%) four years ago in 2014.
India is thought to have the most vegetarians globally, with up to 42% of the population avoiding meat products.
Research conducted by Roy Morgan has found that the trend in vegetarian eating continues to grow — with 2.5 million people (12.1% of the population) in Australia now eating all or almost all vegetarian.
In Australia, 42 percent of people are eating less meat or none at all in 2019.
The pollsters found that between 2012 and 2016, those Australians identified as completely or almost meat-free, increased from 1.7 million to almost 2.1 million people (11.2% of the population*). The most common reason Australians were adopting vegetarianism was for health or weight loss related reasons.
As per our findings, there's no country where 100% of the population is non-vegetarian. However, some countries have a higher consumption of meat because of cultural or religious factors, i.e., China, Brazil, and the USA, among others.
Israel is considered one of the best sustainable countries in the world. The mix of the traditional Mediterranean diet and the strict dietary laws of Kosher food has made them get away from meat, dairy, and parve products. You can find fish gelatin and honey in their food, but it is much easier to follow veganism here.
India is, in fact, the birthplace of vegetarianism. It is in fact deeply rooted in the culture and religion of the country and has even been ranked the lowest consumer of meat in the world.
Australia is among the top meat-consuming nations of the world - eating on average almost 108kg of meat annually per person.
An estimated 2 per cent of Australians are vegan, but a 2019 survey found almost 2.5 million people whose diet is all or almost all vegetarian, while almost 10 million Australians were eating less red meat.
Finder's research found the keto, gluten-free and vegetarian diets are the top trending diets of 2022, with 10% planning to have a crack at each of these regimes.
Surveys show that 99% of Australians are against animal cruelty. So we believe that when they are made aware of the suffering of animals used in the agriculture industry, they will align their behaviour with their beliefs and go vegan.
Going vegan in Australia is simple, but it can bring some challenges depending on your location and how diverse you'd like your lifestyle to be. Let's take a closer look at some of the best resources to help you do it right. Give these a try: Veggo Sizzle, Ayla's Café and Chianti.
According to the Stats of 2022, India Leads the World with the Highest Percentage of Vegetarians at 42% (Rferl) Rferl found that India has the population with the most vegetarians out of all countries at 31-42%, with Mexico coming in second place with 19% and Brazil in third place with 14%.
The world's largest consumers of meat per capita? Hong Kong, Iceland, and Macao have the highest total meat consumption, all above 170 kg (370 lbs) per capita.
Thailand
Thailand is a great country for buying fresh fruits, vegetables, noodles and rice dishes that will be perfect for a travelling vegetarian. Tip: Even though there are lots of dishes that are already plant-based, watch out for them being prepared in fish sauce or chicken broth.
Japanese cuisine is known for its heavy use of meat and fish, and even stocks and sauces usually have some ingredients containing meat. Vegetarianism and veganism are not as popular in Japan as it is in the West, so you'll find there's often some confusion as to what you can and can't eat.
Israel: This country's capital city, Tel Aviv, is titled the “vegan capital of the world”. Apart from Tel Aviv, you'll find vegan alternatives and markets in lots of different small towns of Israel serving superb vegan fare. You can pick out from 700+ vegan eating places in Israel, currently.
Vegetarianism and veganism are growing trends in China. Public Radio International estimated in 2013 that 4-5% of China's population was vegetarian, representing over 50 million people.
Australia produces 4% of global beef production and accounts for about 16% of world trade. Of the total beef produced nationally in 2019, 70% was exported with the remaining 30% going to the domestic market. Australia has remained one of the top 3 largest exporters of beef for more than seven decades.
Though the Australians are traditionally non-vegetarian, they rear cattle mainly for exporting meat to other countries.
Our diverse soils and climate provide a wide variety of fresh food all year round. Historically we produce far more than we consume domestically. We sell around 65% of farm production overseas, making Australia a leading food-exporting nation.