By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, Charles Stahler, and Debra Wasserman
What number of vegetarians and vegans are there in america? To seek out out, The Vegetarian Useful resource Group and Vegan Journal commissioned YouGov PLC to ask the next query in a nationwide ballot:
Which one, if any, of the next greatest describes your consuming conduct? Please choose the choice that greatest applies.
1) I by no means eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
2) I by no means eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
3) I generally eat meals with out meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
4) I generally eat meals with out meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
5) I often eat meals with out meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
6) I often eat meals with out meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
7) None of those
We discovered that 59% of U.S. adults at all times, generally, or often eat vegetarian, together with vegan meals. Thirty % of U.S. adults at all times, generally, or often eat vegan meals. This huge market might be one cause that vegetarian and vegan choices at the moment are generally present in faculties, supermarkets, and even fast service chains. 5 % at all times or often eat vegan meals. That is more than likely the group that can passionately promote vegan gadgets to the bigger market.
Of those who at all times or often eat vegan meals, about the identical share are male (5%) or feminine (5%), and the identical share are from the Northeast, Midwest, and South (5% every), with a bit larger from the West (7%). Blacks (8%) and Latinos (6%) fall into this class at the next share than Whites (4%). The most important group are 18-34 12 months olds (9%). Metropolis dwellers (8%) usually tend to at all times or largely eat vegan meals than these which are rural (3%) or from the suburbs (4%). Earnings didn’t make that a lot of a distinction, with 6% of these incomes beneath $40k, and 5% every of these with from $40k to $79.9k and $80k plus at all times or often consuming vegan meals.
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION
1% Vegans
2% Vegetarians (not together with vegan)
3% Complete Vegetarians, together with vegan*
25% Typically eat vegan meals
22% Typically eat vegetarian meals (not together with vegan)
4% Often eat vegan meals
5% Often eat vegetarian meals (not together with vegan)
30% All the time, generally or often eat vegan meals
5% All the time or often eat vegan meals
59% All the time, generally or often eat vegetarian meals, together with vegan
41% Doesn’t eat vegetarian or vegan meals
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION THAT ALWAYS OR USUALLY EATS VEGAN MEALS
5% Complete
5% Male
5% Feminine
9% Ages 18-34
4% Ages 35-54
3% Ages 55 Plus
5% Northeast**
5% Midwest
5% South
7% West
4% White
8% Black
6% Hispanic
5% Highschool graduate/no Highschool
4% Faculty graduate
7% Submit graduate
8% Father or mother of kid beneath 18
6% Earnings beneath $40,000
5% Earnings $40,000 to 79,900
5% Earnings over $80,000
8% City residence
4% Suburban
3% Rural
**NORTHEAST consists of: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. SOUTH consists of: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. MIDWEST consists of: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. WEST consists of: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
*In one other VRG YouGov ballot, in February, 2025, in an analogous query, we discovered 4 % of adults had been vegetarian, together with vegan. If we estimate 263 million adults, (Children Rely Knowledge Middle), utilizing 3%-4%, about 8 to 10 million adults within the U.S are vegetarian together with vegan. About 13 million at all times or often eat vegan meals.
* We outline a vegetarian as somebody who by no means eats/doesn’t eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry.
We outline a vegan as a vegetarian who doesn’t/by no means eats meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs.
This survey was carried out by YouGov. All figures, except said in any other case, are from YouGov Plc. Complete pattern measurement was 2,199 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between June 27-July 1, 2025 on-line within the United States. The figures have been weighted and are consultant of all U.S. adults aged 18 and over. Outcomes are primarily based on a pattern and are topic to statistical errors usually related to sample-based data. For the above questions, we will have a 95% confidence stage that VRG’s numbers from YouGov are plus or minus one % (margin of error). Figures between 15% and 40%, and between 60% and 85% are plus or minus 2 %. Watch out when evaluating ballot numbers to different polls or international locations, as questions and definitions of vegetarian and vegan are sometimes completely different That’s the reason we title meals, and use the phrase “by no means,” quite than simply asking if you’re vegetarian or vegan.
You’ll be able to see different Vegetarian Useful resource Group polls at www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#ballot
