Trends in vegetarianism
Surveys conducted in Australia, United Kingdom and United States of America have shown that the prevalence of vegetarianism and veganism during the 1980s and the first half of the 90s was between 3 and 7% (Worsley and Skrzypiec, 1996a; Richardson et al, 1994; Vegetarian Society, 1996; O'Connell et al, 1989). These surveys were performed before the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) scare had any impact in late 1995, and the figures do not include individuals who were semivegetarian. About 15% of the adult population in the United Kingdom are semivegetarian, and in Australian adolescents (16 year olds) in the mid 1990s it was present in 16% of the women and 6% of the men.
The principal types of vegetarianism that occur in a community depend to some extent on the religious and ethnic backgrounds that are present. In a study in the United Kingdom which excluded individuals from religious and ethnic groups that prescribed vegetarianism, the main types of vegetarianism were as follows:
Table 1 Main types of vegetarianism in the United Kingdom
| Classification | Prevalence (%) |
| Lacto-ovo-vegetarian | 34 |
| Fish-eating vegetarian | 25 |
| Vegan | 24 |
| Lacto-vegetarian | 12 |
| Vegetarian | 5 |
In that study there was a variety of vegetarian types. Whereas, in an earlier study in the United States of America it was reported that 90% of vegetarians were lacto-ovo-vegetarian (O'Connell et al, 1989).
Within Europe, vegetarianism is strongest in the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, the Netherlands and then Belgium. In the United Kingdom, the prevalence of vegetarianism has been rising steadily during the 1980s and 90s. It rose from 2.6% in 1985 to 4.5% in 1995 (Vegetarian Society, 1996). One third of that country's non-meat eaters are thought to be children under 16 years of age (Kirby, 1988), and somewhere between 7 and 14% of households have at least one member who is vegetarian.
Every year a survey is conducted on the prevalence of vegetarians and reduced meat eaters in the United Kingdom. It is conducted on behalf of the Realeat Company which specialises in vegetarian foods. In 1990 the poll reported that 43% of the population that was over 16 years of age was eating less meat. A similar survey conducted by Dalepak Company in 1991 reported that 48% of the sample were eating vegetarian meals as an alternative to meat-based meals. Choosing vegetarian dishes and meals is now regarded as a "mass option" and is no longer a radical stance.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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