How Many Vegetarians and Vegans Are There?
by Charles Stahler and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
To find out how many adult vegetarians and vegans there are in the United States, The Vegetarian Resource Group commissioned YouGov to ask the following question.
Which one, if any, of the following best describes your eating behavior? Please select the option that best applies.
- I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
- I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
- I usually eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
- I usually eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
- I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
- I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
- None of these
We classified those who never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs as vegan. Vegetarians include vegans, plus those who never eat meat, fish seafood, or poultry. We found in 2022 that six percent of U.S. adults are vegetarian (including vegans) and that three percent of U.S. adults are vegan. Twenty-nine percent of adult Americans sometimes, usually, or always eats vegan meals. Almost two-thirds of the population (63%) sometimes, usually, or always eats vegetarian (including vegan) meals, while only 37% of the population never eats vegetarian or vegan meals. When we look at how many vegan foods there now are in supermarkets and fast food chains, it appears marketers are taking note of this.
More 18-34 year olds, Blacks, and Latinos always plus usually ate vegan (17%, 13%, and 10% respectively) compared to other groups. However, looking at those sometimes eating vegan meals, Blacks and Latinos (15% and 16% respectively) are less likely to report this behavior than Whites (22%). Thus, though there were more Blacks and Latinos than Whites usually or always eating vegan meals (13% and 10% vs. 7% respectively), the combined percentage of those always, usually, and sometimes eating vegan meals was close to the same for Whites (29%), Blacks (28%), and Latinos (26%).
The Vegetarian Resource Group 2022 Poll Results
PERCENTAGE OF VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN ADULTS IN THE U.S.
3% Vegan
3% Vegetarian (not including vegan)
6% Vegetarian including vegan
PERCENTAGE OF U.S. ADULTS EATING VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN MEALS
6% Usually eat vegan meals
6% Usually eat vegetarian meals (not including vegan)
20% Sometimes eat vegan meals
25% Sometimes eat vegetarian meals (not including vegan)
9% Always or usually eat vegan meals
29% Always, usually, or sometimes eat vegan meals
63% Always, usually, or sometimes eat vegetarian (including vegan) meals
37% Never eat vegetarian or vegan meals
Vegan and Vegetarian Adults in the U.S., 2022
| VEGAN | VEGAN USUALLY | VEGAN SOMETIMES | VEGETARIAN NOT INCLUDING VEGAN | |
| Total | 3% | 6% | 20% | 3% |
| Male | 3% | 7% | 18% | 2% |
| Female | 3% | 5% | 22% | 3% |
| Ages 18-34 | 5% | 12% | 18% | 5% |
| Ages 35-54 | 3% | 5% | 20% | 2% |
| Ages 55 plus | 1% | 2% | 21% | 1% |
| Northeast* | 2% | 7% | 21% | 2% |
| Midwest | 1% | 4% | 21% | 3% |
| South | 3% | 6% | 19% | 2% |
| West | 5% | 6% | 21% | 3% |
| White | 3% | 4% | 22% | 2% |
| Black | 4% | 9% | 15% | 2% |
| Hispanic | 3% | 7% | 16% | 3% |
*NORTHEAST includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. MIDWEST includes: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. SOUTH includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. WEST includes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. *NORTHEAST includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. MIDWEST includes: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. SOUTH includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. WEST includes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
This survey was conducted by YouGov. All figures, unless stated otherwise, are from YouGov PLC. Total sample size was 2,889 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between March 22-24, 2022, online in the United States. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults aged 18 and over. Results are based on a sample and are subject to statistical errors normally associated with sample-based information. For the above questsion, with a sample size of 2,889, we can have a 95% confidence level that the percentage of vegetarians (including vegans) is 6% plus or minus 1%, and that the number of vegans is 3% plus or minus 1%. Though the polls can't be strictly compared as they were done a little differently, in our 2021 VRG YouGov Youth Poll, about 5% of 8-17 year olds were vegetarian (including vegans) and 2% were vegan. See The 2021 VRG teen poll at: www.vrg.org/nutshell/Yougov2021youthteenwriteup.pdf
Be careful when comparing poll numbers to other countries, as questions and definitions of vegetarian and vegan are often different. Our combination of "always" and "usually vegan" is close to some polls we've seen in the U.S. and other countries about how many actual vegans there are. Be wary of comparisons, as people can self-define differently when answering questions. This is why we name foods, rather than asking if you are vegetarian or vegan.
According to the U.S. Census, www.census.gov/quickfacts/US there are about 258 million adults in the U.S., thus about 7.75 million vegan adults, and about 74.82 million adults who always, usually, or sometimes eat vegan meals. Note that since we defined what respondents eat, other polls in and outside the U.S. may have higher figures if they let people self-define terms. For information on our other adult and youth polls, see www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll
How Should Meat and Dairy Alternatives Based on DNA Originally from Animals be Labeled?
In addition to the myriad of meat and dairy alternatives that have been around for thousands of years (like tofu, tempeh, beans, etc.) and newly processed alternatives such as Beyond Burgers, there is now increasing development of alternatives based on animal cell DNA, with the technology having many variations. But how should these new products be labeled?
To get a glimpse of people's thoughts about labeling, we had YouGov ask additional questions. We found out which of the respondents would not label as vegan, products that contained meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, or other animal products. Then, we correlated responses from the additional questions to respondent groups who were vegan; always, usually, or sometimes eat vegan meals; and who said an item should not be labeled vegan if containing meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, or other animal products. The individuals in the last group are not all vegan.
Over six in ten (62%) vegans didn't want these items labeled as vegan. 62%-65% of those who ate vegan meals (not all those individuals are vegan) didn't want them labeled vegan, animal-free, or plant-based, with an even higher percentage at 71% wanting the product to be labeled so it informs consumers the products use animal cell DNA or is animal-gene derived.
** Of all respondents, 65% did not want these labeled vegan, and 66% not plant-based. ## 68% of the total respondents wanted a statement on the package.
In the column on page 25, for those who said meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, and other animal ingredients are not vegan, the margin of error is up to 2.45%. The margin of error for those who always, usually, and sometimes eat vegan meals is up to 2.29%. For vegans it is up to 10.82%.
As this is new technology for most people, we expect people's ideas to evolve as they learn and discuss more. Which way they change will be interesting to see. What is your opinion?
To see more results from this poll, see: www.vrg.org/nutshell/CulturedMeatYouGov2022.pdf
For more poll information, see www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll
Labeling Meat & Dairy Products Based on DNA from Animals
Meat and dairy alternatives that are made using NO animals or animal products, but are based on animal cells or DNA extracted years ago from a live animal should...
| VEGAN | ALWAYS, USUALLY, SOMETIMES EATS VEGAN MEALS | SAID AN ITEM CONTAINING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT VEGAN (meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, or other animal products) | |
| Be labeled vegan | 38% | 37% | 29% |
| Not be labeled vegan** | 62% | 63% | 71% |
| Be labeled animal-free | 25% | 38% | 37% |
| Not be labeled animal-free | 75% | 62% | 63% |
| Be labeled as vegetarian | 40% | 40% | 37% |
| Not be labeled as vegetarian | 60% | 60% | 63% |
| Be labeled as plant-based | 34% | 35% | 31% |
| Not be labeled as plant-based | 66% | 65% | 69% |
| Be labeled "vegan," "plant-based," and/or "animal-free" even if containing ingredients genetically identical to a cow's milk ingredient (like whey) so that it is still considered a milk protein allergen. | 26% | 34% | 28% |
| NOT BE LABELED "vegan," "plant-based," and/or "animal-free" even if containing ingredients genetically identical to a cow's milk ingredient (like whey) so that it is still considered a milk protein allergen | 74% | 66% | 72% |
| Include a statement on the package that informs consumers that the product uses animal cell DNA or is animal gene-derived ## | 59% | 71% | 79% |
| NOT include a statement on the package that informs consumers that the product uses animal cell DNA | 41% | 29% | 21% |
