India leads the countries with the highest rates of vegetarians, with nearly 24% of the population following a vegetarian diet, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
India is thought to have the most vegetarians globally, with up to 42% of the population avoiding meat products.
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. Pretty impressive for a country with a population of 1.252 billion people!
Australia is home to as many as 2.5 million vegans and vegetarians. 6% of the population is vegan.
Based on early data from the National Nutrition Survey and other studies we estimate that about 2% of Australians are vegan. This is approximately 500,000 people.
Australia is the second-most popular nation in the world for vegans in 2020, behind only the UK, according to Chef's Pencil's latest annual index of the the most popular countries and cities for veganism around the world.
In Sydney, there are heaps of vegan restaurants at every budget that cater to whatever you're craving — vegan pizza, burgers, pies, gelato and a variety of cuisines including Japanese, Italian, Palestinian, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Mediterranean and Mexican.
India. Three of India's major religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism — teach the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence towards all beings. Because of this religious tradition, India has the highest percentage of vegetarians out of all the countries in the world.
In Australia, 42 percent of people are eating less meat or none at all in 2019.
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.
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.
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.
China's vegan and plant-based protein industry is growing fast, and this lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular around the country. Veganism statistics China shows the trend being adopted at a rapid rate: 5% of China's population are vegans.
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Level 5 vegan
Level 5 vegans are those who are seen as incredibly committed to the vegan lifestyle, and are often hailed as “extreme vegans”. Level 5 vegans go to an extensive effort to follow a vegan lifestyle that is free of any type of animal product or animal exploitation.
General: Animal welfare ranks first among the main reasons why Australians choose to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet (at 35%). Health comes in second (27%) and the environment in third (21%). Religious, financial and other reasons combine to 16 per cent.
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.
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.
Reports indicate that 5% of the Chinese population is vegan and the trend will be growing, as China is becoming more urbanised. Additionally, the Chinese government is planning to halve meat consumption by 2030 to control obesity, prevent other health diseases and cut carbon emissions.
One of the earliest followers of what we now consider a vegan diet was Arab philosopher and poet Al-Maʿarri who abstained from animal products for his health and beliefs on the transmigration of souls and animal welfare.
84% of vegetarians/vegans abandon their diet. About a third (34%) of lapsed vegetarians/vegans maintained the diet for three months or less.