Retention Survey - 2009
DATA Results Summary

DO VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS STAY VEGETARIAN?
VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP 2006 - 2009 SURVEY

Compiled by Ricky Christopher Brathwaite
By Charles Stahler
With assistance of John Cunningham, Kristen Lambert, Rachel Prokop, and Reed Mangels.

For over fifteen years The Vegetarian Resource Group has been polling the number of vegetarians in the United States. See http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll. We now wanted to look at the number of people who stay vegetarian along with their motivations.

In 2006 we received 267 surveys from readers and collected by volunteers. In 2009 we resurveyed the same people and received back 153 surveys from individuals who were vegetarian or vegan in 2006. Our methodology is exploratory and further research is necessary to extrapolate to the general population. Note that we don't have information about the 34% of non-respondents.

The vast majority of vegans and vegetarians stayed at least vegetarian. Our hypothesis was that people who became vegetarian primarily for ethical reasons would be much more likely to stay vegetarian than health vegetarians. This did not hold up, with 91% of health individuals staying vegetarian from 2006 to 2009, and 94% of ethical motivators staying vegetarian. Interestingly, the environmental was 100%.

We also theorized that vegans were more likely to stay vegetarian or vegan than vegetarians who weren't vegan in 2006. We were wrong here also as 94% of both 2006 vegetarians and vegans stayed vegetarian and vegan in 2009. Six percent of vegans stopped being vegetarian and six percent of vegetarians stopped being vegetarian. Eight percent of 2006 vegans became vegetarian, while eleven percent of 2006 vegetarians became vegan.

94% of males stayed at least vegetarian and 94% of females stayed at least vegetarian. One hundred percent of vegan males stayed vegan, while 83% of females stayed vegan. Of those that were vegetarian less than two years, 75% stayed vegetarian; while those three years to 30 years or more varied between 90% and 100%. So possibly those most likely to stay vegetarian are male vegans and individuals who have been vegetarian (no meat, fish, fowl) three or more years. In our survey, respondents were asked if they did not eat meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs. Though this study can't be extrapolated to the general population, we look forward to building upon this research.

RETENTION SURVEY 2009 - Results

The retention survey yielded a 66% return on the survey distributed.

Totals

2006 Surveys*	267
2009 Surveys	176
2006 Respondents also responded in 2009.	66%

* (276 Total minus 9 duplicates and blanks)

Vegetarianism in this context is defined as those that never eat meat, fish and poultry; whereas Veganism excluded the additional consumption of dairy products and eggs.

Looking at 2006 responses of those that also responded in 2009:

How many didn't eat meat, fish, and poultry (vegetarian), though not vegan, in 2006	80
How many didn't eat meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs (vegan) in 2006	73
How many didn't eat meat, fish, poultry or didn't eat meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs (vegetarians plus vegans) in 2006 (Total Vegetarians):	153

Over time, individuals may evolve in terms of their lifestyles and choice of food products. This can be related to a change in environment, perspective, or belief. In 2006, 80 individuals were identified as vegetarian. By 2009, 9 of those individuals converted to a Vegan lifestyle (11%) while 5 individual discontinued participation in Vegetarianism (6%).

2009: 80 started out as vegetarian in 2006 (not including vegans):

Still Vegetarian	83%	66
Vegan	11%	9
Not Vegetarian	6%	5

The Vegan group also saw changes in consumption habits. 10 individuals no longer followed the Vegan standard, with 4 of those individuals discontinuing Vegetarianism all together.

2009: 73 started out as Vegan in 2006:

Are still Vegan	86%	63
Vegetarian	8%	6
Not Vegetarian	6%	4

2009: 153 started out as vegetarian or vegan in 2006:

Still Vegetarian (including vegan)

94%

144

Main Reason Individual became vegetarian or vegan: How many of each category are still vegetarian (include vegetarians and vegans)?

Health
2006 Vegetarian		32
2009 Still vegetarian	91%	29
Ethics
2006 Vegetarian		48
2009 Still Vegetarian	94%	45
Animal Rights
2006 Vegetarian		72
2009 Still Vegetarian	92%	66
Weight Loss
2006 Vegetarian		3
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	3
The Environment
2006 Vegetarian		15
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	15
My Religion
2006 Vegetarian		1
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	1
My Spiritual Beliefs
2006 Vegetarian		17
2009 Still Vegetarian	88%	15
Friends/Family
2006 Vegetarian		0
2009 Still Vegetarian		0
Saving Money
2006 Vegetarian		1
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	1
Politics
2006 Vegetarian		0
2009 Still Vegetarian		0
World Hunger
2006 Vegetarian		5
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	5
Taste
2006 Vegetarian		7
2009 Still Vegetarian	86%	6
Other
2006 Vegetarian		7
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	7

SUPPORT GROUPS

I Am A Member Of A Vegetarian Organization
2006 Vegetarian		87
2009 Still Vegetarian	95%	83
I Am A Member Of An Animal Rights Group
2006 Vegetarian		80
2009 Still Vegetarian	90%	72
I Subscribe To At Least One Vegetarian Magazine
2006 Vegetarian		120
2009 Still Vegetarian	96%	115
I Am Not A Member of A Vegetarian Or An Animal Rights Group, And I Do Not Subscribe to a Vegetarian Magazine
2006 Vegetarian		19
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	19

AGE (in 2006)

18-19
2006 Vegetarian		3
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	3
20-29
2006 Vegetarian		14
2009 Still Vegetarian	79%	11
30-39
2006 Vegetarian		23
2009 Still Vegetarian	96%	22
40-49
2006 Vegetarian		27
2009 Still Vegetarian	93%	25
50-59
2006 Vegetarian		38
2009 Still Vegetarian	95%	36
60-69
2006 Vegetarian		31
2009 Still Vegetarian	97%	30
70 or older
2006 Vegetarian		17
2009 Still Vegetarian	100%	17

Sex

Male
2006 Vegetarian (vegetarian and vegan total)		33
2009 Still Vegetarian (vegetarian and vegan total)	94%	31
2006 Vegetarian (not including vegan)		19
2009 Still Vegetarian (not vegan)	68%	13
2009 Vegan	21%	4
2006 Vegan		14
2009 Still Vegan	100%	14
2009 Vegetarian (not vegan)		0
Female
2006 Vegetarian (vegetarian and vegan total)		120
2009 Still Vegetarian (vegetarian and vegan total)	94%	113
2006 Vegetarian (not including vegan)		61
2009 Still Vegetarian (not vegan)	87%	53
2009 Vegan	8%	5
2006 Vegan		59
2009 Still Vegan	83%	49
2009 Vegetarian (not vegan)	10%	6

The length of a practice points towards a steadiness in understanding of the activity and determination to continue it. The following table shows the length that individuals have been stable in their food consumption practices and whether these habits changed over the course of these two surveys. It is interesting that two individuals who had been vegetarians for 30 or more years did not continue these practices throughout the last 3 years.

How long a vegetarian (Vegetarian and Vegan Total)

Less than a year in 2006		3
Still a vegetarian in 2009	67%	2
1-2 years in 2006		9
Still a vegetarian in 2009	78%	7
3-5 years in 2006		14
Still a vegetarian in 2009	93%	13
6-10 years in 2006		17
Still a vegetarian in 2009	94%	16
11-15 years in 2006		24
Still a vegetarian in 2009	100%	24
16-19 years in 2006		15
Still a vegetarian in 2009	100%	15
20-25 years in 2006		18
Still a vegetarian in 2009	94%	17
26-29 years in 2006		10
Still a vegetarian in 2009	90%	9
30 or more years in 2006		40
Still a vegetarian in 2009	95%	38