How many Vegetarians are there world wide?

[Y2king]

How many Vegetarians are there world wide? or even in each country?

[boquist1]

The numbers I have seen say 2 to 3 percent of US population are strict vegetarians. That would put a number like something on the order of 5 million in the US.

Vegetarian leaning, meaning people who are trying to lessen their consumption of meat to eat little meat, or eat it infrequently is much higher,...on order of 15 to 20 percent.

There are lots of conflicting stats on this question. However, directionally they are in similar ranges.

John

[The Rev]

I think alot of the figures are exaggerated, myself, which isn't uncommon when the source of the stats is also a group trying to rally support for a cause. I think there are probably less than 1% that are even vegetarian, and probably a fraction of that are vegan, considering the way people give me that confused dog turn of the head when I tell them, "I don't eat that."



The Rev

[kat]

Everybody who is veggie, put your hands up and I'll count.

Er 1, 2, 3, 7, 6,8

sorry got mixed up there....

[Indian Summer]

I would guess the bulk of the world vegetarian population is found in India. I'm not certain about the exact number, but I've seen an estimate that says 20% of the population are veg*ns. (I've also seen estimates as high as 50%, but I believe that figure is way too high.) 20% would yield about 210 million veg*ns in India alone. China supposedly also has a fair number of veg*ns: 14%, which yields about 180 million. Source.

[Tropikiwi]

I'd say not enough!

[RedWingsFan]

According to the American Dietetic Association there are around 3% of the U.S. population that is actual vegetarian (doesn't eat fish/chicken and claim to be a vegetarian). With less than half of a percent of those being vegan. They also say that Canada has 4% population of vegetarian. There are religions that advocate a vegetarian diet, such as Hinduism and Budhism (like in India, China, etc.), however, more and more they are taking on western customs and adding meat to their diet. A lot of them claim vegetarianism yet still put clam sauce in their rice dish (just an example). And besides, most large groups of vegetarians in the world are not so by choice, they are vegetarians for lack of meat and money to buy it. When given a choice most people choose to consume meat products.

[boquist1]

Numbers are hard to nail down, but as soon as ther is a big outbreak of mad cow, the number, whatever that is, will double.

As soon as people understand how horrific factory farming is, they will either go to organic meat, or quit alltogether.

John

[Vicky]

i think we should take over the world

[colorful]

I've often wondered if meat-eating, or at least our current factory farms, will someday be looked back on as horrific just as we look back on slavery, the holocaust, etc. If one day we won't be seen as radicals anymore... I don't know if it will ever happen, but I can hope!