85% of participants plan to at least halve their intake of animal products after January
30th March, 2021 — Veganuary, the global organisation encouraging people to try vegan in January and beyond, has today released the results from its 2021 participant survey* – the only survey that polls official Veganuary sign-ups – and they are riveting! More than 582,000 people from 209 countries and territories took part in Veganuary 2021, breaking all previous records.
Here’s what Veganuary’s 2021 participants revealed about themselves:
- Almost half (46%) said animals were their number one motivation for trying vegan, followed by personal health (22%) and the environment (21%). Other reasons included for a change/challenge/curiosity (5%), global health (4%) and for a friend/partner/family member (2%)**
- Nearly three-quarters (74%) were still eating meat and/or fish when they signed-up to take part, 24% were vegetarian and 12% were vegan
- The majority (65%) were aged between 25 and 54, followed by 55-64 (15%) and 18-24 (14%)
- Eighty-five percent were female and 13% were male
When asked about their Veganuary experience:
- Almost two-thirds (61%) maintained a fully-vegan diet for the whole month
- Before participating in Veganuary, 30% planned to stay vegan at the end of their pledge but after participating 40% now plan to stay vegan
- Seventy-five percent of those not staying vegan plan to at least halve their intake of animal products going forward and 75% are very/extremely likely to try vegan again in the future
- In total, 85% of participants will permanently change their diet either by staying vegan or at least halving their intake of animal products
- The number one reason people decided to stay vegan is that it was easier than expected (23%), followed by learning more about veganism (22%)
- Half saw some improvement to their overall health, with increased energy (49%), improved mood (46%), better skin (38%) and desired change in body weight (38%) being the most common benefits
- Ninety-eight percent would recommend Veganuary to a friend or family member
The Official Veganuary 2021 Survey Results can be viewed in more detail here.
Commenting on the results, Veganuary’s International Head of Communications, Toni Vernelli, said: “These incredible results show that Veganuary really is inspiring people around the world to adopt a more planet-friendly diet with 85% of our 2021 participants planning to at least halve their intake of animal products permanently – including 40% who plan to stay fully vegan.”
She added: “We work very hard to equip our participants with as much useful advice, delicious recipes and friendly support as possible, so it’s very rewarding to know that 98% would recommend Veganuary to others! This figure has been consistent for several years, demonstrating the value of Veganuary’s work in making plant-based eating easy and accessible for everyone.”
*The survey was sent by Veganuary to 76% of the 582,000 people who signed-up during the 2021 campaign. 43,982 people responded (10%).
**The response to this question cannot be directly compared to previous years as the methodology has changed. It is now asked in the post-pledge survey as opposed to the sign-up survey.
Contact:
Toni Vernelli, International Head of Communications
07505 866 548
