Research

2019 survey of vegans in Great Britain

1.20%

Percentage of UK adults identifying as vegan

0.90%

0.60%

0.30%

2010 0.00% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

FSA Food and You survey Vegan Society/Ipsos Mori survey

In summer 2019, The Vegan Society worked with independent survey company Ipsos Mori to carry out a face-to-face survey of almost 10,000 people aged 15 or over in Great Britain. We used the question:

Which, if any, of the following applies to you? Please state all that apply.

• Completely vegetarian • Partly vegetarian • Vegan • Avoid certain food for religious or cultural reasons • None

This question had been used previously in the Food and You survey carried out on behalf of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) every two years since 2010. A smaller survey by The Vegan Society of almost 2000 people in 2018 demonstrated that this question identified dietary vegans reliably. Combining our results with those of the FSA shows dramatic recent growth: the percentage of vegans in 2019 (1.2%) was about five times higher than that observed in FSA surveys between 2010 and 2014.

Like all surveys, our latest survey has significant uncertainty in its result: the 95% confidence interval ranges from 1% to 1.5%. All the earlier surveys have even greater uncertainty due to much smaller survey size, so we cannot be precise about the timing of the growth between 2014 and now. 60% of vegans in the 2019 survey had been vegan for less than four years, consistent with the recent rapid growth in numbers.

Demographics About 20% of vegans were non-white, consistent with the general population (particularly after allowing for the younger age distribution of both vegans and the non-white population of Great Britain). Vegans were also fairly evenly distributed through different regions of Great Britain. Vegans were more likely to be younger (1.9% of under-35s were vegan), to have completed more years of formal education (2.1% of those with degrees were vegan), and to be female (1.5% of females were vegan). Non-vegan vegetarians (3.9% of the survey sample) and non-vegans who said they would definitely consider a vegan diet in the future (4.9% of the survey sample) showed a weaker pattern in the same direction.

Comparing vegans with other vegetarians, vegans were less likely to come from an Indian ethnic background and were younger than other vegetarians, but the percentage of females was very similar at about 63%. A third of non-vegan vegetarians said they would definitely consider a vegan diet in the future.

A growing and diverse body of people are embracing veganism and The Vegan Society, with the help of our members, will continue working to extend and diversify this growth in the UK and beyond, building a future in which veganism is accepted as normal and desirable.

Plant Powered Expo Saturday 1 (10am–6pm) – Sunday 2 February (10am–5pm) Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX plantpoweredexpo.co.uk

Arran Vegfest Saturday 14 March (10am–5pm) Arran High School, Lamlash, Isle of Arran KA27 8NG arranvegfest.com

Essex Vegan Festival Saturday 14 March (10.30am–4.30pm) Colchester Charter Hall, Cowdray Avenue, Colchester CO1 1YH facebook.com/events/2326848200915402

Exeter Vegan Market Saturday 14 March (10am–2.30pm) Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter EX1 1BW facebook.com/exeterveganmarket

Vegan Life Live 14-15 March, (Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm) Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY london.veganlifelive.com

Glasgow Vegan Festival Saturday 28 March (10.30am–4.30pm) Hampden Park, Glasgow G42 9BA facebook.com/events/941808776164594

Bath Vegan Festival Saturday 4 April (10.30am–4.30pm) Bath Pavilion, North Parade Road, Bath BA2 4EU facebook.com/events/373680646842204

Blackpool Easter Vegan Fair Saturday 11 April (10am–4pm) The Layton Club, 30 Westcliffe Drive, Blackpool FY3 7HG facebook.com/events/782488802185992

Leicester Vegan Festival Saturday 18 April (10.30am–4.30pm) Leicester Athena, Queen Street, Leicester LE1 1QD facebook.com/events/376713133011300

Balance Festival 17-19 April Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL balance-festival.com

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Healthy eating for strong bones – the myths and the reality

By the Royal Osteoporosis Society

Many people are recognising the health benefits that a plant-based diet offers, but concerns have been raised that cutting out certain foods can put us at risk of nutritional deficiencies, potentially leading to poor bone health and osteoporosis.

Sarah Leyland, nurse consultant at the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) says, “Good nutrition means ensuring you give yourself adequate vitamins, minerals and nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and protein and that you think about alternative food sources when considering a change in diet.”

“Your bones need many different nutrients, but you can get what you need from a vegan diet as long as it’s balanced and well-planned.”

You may regard your bones as stable and strong. However, they’re in a state of constant flux, continuously breaking down and rebuilding. So, it’s essential to look after your bones now to withstand the loss of bone strength that inevitably comes with age.

“One in two women and one in five men over 50 in the UK are expected to break a bone because of osteoporosis but a balanced diet could help to prevent this. We should all consider this seriously because these broken bones can have severe consequences on your quality of life,” says Sarah.

The ROS Helpline, staffed by specialist nurses, regularly receives calls from people worried about their bone health. Sarah is often amazed at the misinformation out there, which leads to confusion and worry. Here, she dispels three common myths.

Myth: Ditching dairy is bad for your bones Reality: Dairy is just one way to get good amounts of calcium to keep your bones strong. Dairybased products are not better absorbed or necessarily preferable to non-dairy sources. If you eliminate dairy foods that used to give you large amounts of calcium and protein, ensure you find the alternatives you need. Adults need 700mg of calcium a day and there are many foods suitable for vegans that are good sources.

Myth: Vegan diets make your bones weak Reality: Vegans may have a lower bone density than others and a recent review of research trials showed that vegans might be more likely to have bones that break easily. However, it hasn’t been proved that diets are the reason for this; there may be others like low body weight. Being lighter is generally beneficial for health, but being underweight means there is less weight or force pulling on your bones and this can reduce your bone strength.

Myth: All vegans need calcium and vitamin D supplements Reality: This is not true, but supplements can sometimes be useful. Plant-based diets can provide most of the nutrients your bones need if you make careful food choices. Remember you need larger quantities of some foods, like dark green leafy vegetables for calcium, and pulses for protein.

Vitamin D is essential to help your body absorb calcium. The current recommendation is to have about 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily from food or supplements, especially in winter when there is less sunlight, so you might need to top up your levels with a supplement.

The ROS is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to educating the public about bone health and improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Find out more at theros.org.uk/nutrients or contact the ROS specialist nurses on 0808 800 0035 or via Live Chat on the website.