Facts and figures

2012 – (1,582 children (1.5-18 years), 1,491 adults)

• 2% of both adults and children reported that they were vegetarian
• Less than 1% reported following a vegan diet
• Years 1,2 and 3 (combined) of the Rolling programme 2008/09-2010/11

2011 – (1,095 children (1.5-18 years), 1,031 adults)

• 2% of both adults and children reported that they were vegetarian
• Less than 1% reported following a vegan diet
• Years 1 and 2 (combined) of the Rolling programme 2008/09-2009/10

2010 – (583 children (1.5-18 years), 548 adults)

• 2% of both adults and children reported that they were vegetarian
• Less than 1% reported following a vegan diet
• Year 1 of the Rolling programme 2008/09

2009 – 3,219 adults

• 3% vegetarian
• 5% partly vegetarian – not eating some types of meat or fish

2007 – 3,618 adults

• 3% vegetarian (2% male, 3% female)
• 2% vegan (3% male, 2% female)
• The highest number of vegetarians/vegans were found in 16-29 year old females at 7%

2011

• 6% ‘mainly vegetarian’ (ate fish but no meat)
• 3% estimated to be completely vegetarian
• 2001-2011 number of people completely vegetarian fell from 3 million to 1.9 million

2007 – 1,003 adults

• 8% claimed ‘I, or another member of this household, is a vegetarian who perhaps eats fish’
• 7.5% claimed ‘I, or another member of this household, used to be vegetarian, who perhaps ate fish’

2006 – 1,000 adults

• 12% claimed to be vegetarian, or someone in the household was vegetarian
• 9.9% claimed they, or someone else in the hosuehold, used be vegetarian

2007 – 3,728 children and adults (age 2 years and over)

• 2% men and 3% women vegetarian or vegan (vegetarian: men 2%, women 3%; vegan: both <0.5%)
• There was little variation between age.
• Results from the 24 hour recalls showed that, of the self-declared vegetarian or vegans, half consumed either meat or fish during the survey

2007 – 2,627 adults

• 2% vegetarian
• 5% partly vegetarian – not eating some types of meat or fish

2006 – 3,513 adults

• 2% vegetarian
• 7% partly vegetarian – not eating some types of meat or fish

2005 – 3,143 adults

• 4% households contained at least one vegetarian member
• 5% contained at least one person who ate no meat, but did eat fish

2004 – 3,229 adults

• 5% households contained at least one vegetarian member
• 6% contained at least one person who ate no meat, but did eat fish

2003 – 3,121 adults

• 6% households contained at least one vegetarian member. By age: 16-49 – 7%, 50+ 3%
• By area (England): NW – 5%, NE – 4%, Mids – 5%, SW – 9%, SE – 7%
• 4% households contained at least one person who was “mainly vegetarian” i.e. ate fish but no meat

2002 – 3,173 adults

• 5% households contained at least one vegetarian member. By age: 16-25 – 6%, 26-35 – 7%, 36-49 – 6%,50-65 – 5%, 66+ – 2%
• By area (UK): England – 6%, Scotland – 4%, Wales – 4%, N Ireland – 2%
• 5% households contained at least one person who was “mainly vegetarian” i.e. ate fish but no meat

2001 – 3,120 adults

• 5% households contained a completely vegetarian member
• 6% in England – highest of all UK
• 6% households contained at least one person who was “mainly vegetarian” i.e. ate fish but no meat

2000 – 3,153 adults

• 5% households contained a completely vegetarian member, including 1% vegan
• 6% England, 3% Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
• 7% households contained at least one person who was “mainly vegetarian” i.e. ate fish but no meat

2003 – 2,000 parents

• 6% under 3 year olds vegetarian

2000

• 3 million vegetarians in the UK – over 5% of the total population

Kantar Worldpanel – Meat-free take home share – 52 w/e 17 February 2013

• Meat-free sales have grown by 6.6% to £252.9m, and volume has increased by 3.8%.

Quorn Foods

• Sales have increased by up to 20% year on year, with sales in some retailers increasing more than 30%

Fry’s Vegetarian

• Sales have risen by 20% in volume

VeggieDay (launched November 2012)

• Sales at the start of 2013 were higher than expected.

Supermarket own label meat-free products have grown strongly in the past year

2012

• Meat-free and free-from sales reached an estimated total of £949m in 2012, with meat-free sales valued at £607m and free-from sales valued at £342m.
• Almost four in ten (38%) Britons have bought vegetarian or meat-free food, while one in five (20%) have bought free-from food.

2008

• Meat-free market value £739 million
• Meat substitutes account for £170 million of this total

2006

• Between 2006-2011 those aged 15-24 (the most likely to eat meat substitutes) are expected to increase in number by 1.4%. Those aged 20-24 expected to increase by 7%

 2004

• Meat-free market value £626 million
• 38% rise on the 1999 level

2001

• Meat-free market value £548 million (chilled £373 million, frozen £170 million)
• A rise from £333 million since 1996
• 39% of consumers were purchasers of meat-free foods

2000

• Market estimated value £428 million
  
• 1999 retail sales of vegetarian foods worth £399 million, including £233 for ready meals.

2011

• The market for vegetarian foods reached a value of £786.5 million. 7.7% higher than in 2007
• The report estimates a 10.3% increase in sales of vegetarian foods over the next 5 years, with the market value rising from £799.7m in 2012 to £882.4m in 2016

2009

• 19.1% of respondents to the survey agreed that they were purchasing or eating more vegetarian or ‘suitable for vegetarians’ foods than 12 months ago
• Chilled vegetarian foods sector was forecast to grow at a slow but then increasing rate over the period 2009-2013 with the reverse forecast for the frozen sector

2007

• The total UK Vegetarian Food Market was put at £718.5 million
• Report forecast that  during 2007-2011 sales of vegetarian foods will continue to grow between 6.2% and 6.9% per year

2006

• The total UK Vegetarian Food Market was put at £670 million.
• 5% growth in 2004/05

2004

• Meat-free market value fell by 6% in 2003/2004
• Purchases of vegetarian foods were forecast to increase by 5.5% in 2004/2005

2003

• Meat-free market value grew significantly, by around 15% during 1999/2000 to 2001/2002.
• 2002/2003 growth fell from 16.6% to 7.9%
• Main growth was in the chilled sector

1,819 British adult respondents

• 25% British public have cut back on meat in the past year
• 34% are willing to consider eating less meat
• There has been a significant increase in the awareness of the environmental impact of eating meat, from 14% in 2007 to 31% in 2013
• Young people in particular have increased their awareness from 8% in 2007 to 40% in 2013
• 17% of young people don’t eat any meat at all
• Animal welfare was the primary concern for people considering eating less meat
• There is a growing market for meat-free eating

2,072 respondents

• Meat-free sales have soared in wake of the horsemeat scandal.
• 18% (nearly 1 in 5 people) claimed to have been put off eating meat by the scandal.
• 15% were more likely to eat meat alternatives.
• 22% felt personally affected by the scandal.

• This research predicts that the number of vegetarians in Britain will increase from 5% of the population to 10% in the next 2 years.
• There will be a notable rise in ‘flexitarianism’ – the trend of eating less meat and more vegetables without adopting full vegetarianism.
• There has been a seismic shift in attitudes towards celebrating vegetables and opting to eat less meat. They expect meat free eating and flexitarianism to soon be a mega trend.
• The UK can expect to see more vegetarian restaurants, more omnivorous restaurants providing creative meat free options, more pre-prepared vegetarian convenience food in supermarkets, and an overall greater acceptance of vegetarian diets and their asociated benefits.

3,433 student responses from at least 103 universities

• Students rated the acceptability of 43 major concerns about animals (e.g.killing animals, using animals for work, medical experiments using animals to improve human health, cloning animals)
• Students from European countries had more concern for animal welfare than students from Asian countries. This may partly be explained by increased affluence of European students as there was a positive correlation between student expenditure and concern for animal welfare and rights.
• Southern and central European countries had most concern for animal rights and unnatural practices.
• Those in communist or former communist countries in Asia and Europe had most concern about killing animals.
• There were national and continental differences in European and Asian students’ attitudes to animals’ welfare and rights, which appear to arise as a result of the socio-political situation in regions, rather than religious or other differences

6,000 adult consumers questioned, of which 228 were actual vegetarians:

• Vegetarians are much more likely than meat eaters to consider a broad range of ethical criteria across their shopping baskets, such as recyclable packaging, sustainable production, fair trade, carbon rating, food miles and also natural, low fat, wholegrain, organic food.
• Around 25% of vegetarians were unimpressed with the vegetarian ranges offered at supermarkets
• 76% of vegetarians were not happy with the choice available to them in fast food restaurants.
• 10% of lapsed vegetarians have moved away from a vegetarian lifestyle, primarily due to concerns over health and nutrition.
• Vegetarians are 27% more likely to buy vitamin and mineral supplements than non-vegetarians

• Five per cent (out of over 2,000 people, 18 years and older) claimed to be vegetarian or vegan, with women being more likely to adopt this diet (6% compared to 3% men).
• Non-white respondents avoided certain foods more than white respondents for two reasons; they are more likely to be vegetarian or vegan (12% compared to 4%) and more likely to avoid food for religious reasons (32% compared to 1%) than white respondents.
• Individuals on higher incomes were more likely to be vegetarian (7% of those with a household income of over £44,000 per annum compared to 2% of those with an income of less than £14,999 per annum).
• Factors that influenced food choices included; a vegetarian diet or food for special dietary requirements (10%), the impact the food has on the landscape where it was produced (9%) and presentation, packaging, advertising and brand of food products (8%).

3,219 people were interviewed face to face:

• When choosing what food to eat within the home 60% were eating healthy food, 55% chose value for money foods and 21% chose food that was free-range or had higher animal welfare in mind.
• The percentage of people choosing food with animal welfare in mind when eating out decreased to 10%.
• With regards to healthy eating, the most common changes were people trying to eat more fruit and vegetables (35%).

• 20% of main shoppers were driven by animal welfare standards. This figure was up 7% on the previous year along with the number of shoppers eating five portions of fruit and vegetables and food containing more fibre.

• 57% of respondents believe that the government ought to be doing more about animal welfare.
• Re: the amount of thought given to farm animal welfare – 16% thought a great deal, 24% thought a fair amount, 37% thought a little and 22% had not really given this issue any thought before.  37% of people said that they were happy with all or most aspects of farm animal welfare in this county.
• Those not happy were prompted with a list of specific issues and asked which was their biggest concern. 30% said “how animals are kept on the farm”, 28% said “how they are transported”, and 19% said “exporting of live animals”.

• 1,000 British adult shoppers from different age groups and regions in the UK surveyed.
• 64% of consumers have considered animal welfare when buying food with 10% claiming that they buy all higher welfare foods within their weekly shopping.
• 36% of consumers identify themselves as shoppers who do not buy any higher welfare foods.
• Over 50% of the population is currently making at least one or two purchase decisions as a result of their attitude to animal welfare standards.
• 20% cited animal welfare standards as the primary driver of choice when purchasing higher welfare foods, with health and naturalness being dominant as a secondary purchase driver.

• 56% of UK shoppers (62% across the EU) would abandon their usual supermarket for higher animal welfare standards.
• 68% of UK citizens (77% across the EU) think that farm animal welfare needs improving.
• Results from this survey show that this information needs to be improved with just over half of all respondents (53%) say that they cannot easily find this information and a similar proportion (54%) saying that food labels do not enable them to make the identification.