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How many people are going plant-based in 2025? Here's what the data says

Surveys show two-thirds of people crave plant-based meals, yet only one-fifth commit. Here’s how 2025’s numbers reveal momentum—and the gap.

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Surveys show two-thirds of people crave plant-based meals, yet only one-fifth commit. Here’s how 2025’s numbers reveal momentum—and the gap.

Ask around and you’ll hear it everywhere: “I really should eat more plants.”

A recent global survey confirms the sentiment.

Fully 68% of respondents say they want to add more plant-based foods to their diet, yet only 20% report doing so regularly — a sizeable “intention gap” highlighted by the non-profit EAT Forum in its Grains of Truth study.

That disparity frames the conversation for 2025: interest is high, but adoption still lags.

The UK shows where curiosity meets commitment

Britain offers a useful case study in conversion rates because annual polling tracks both intent and action.

Finder’s 2025 diet survey projects that 6.4% of UK adults — about 3.4 million people — plan to follow a vegan diet this year, while 11.5 % (≈ 6.1 million) expect to stay vegetarian. Those numbers translate to more than one in six adults planning to live meat-free, positioning the UK near the top of Europe’s plant-forward leaderboard.

The same research spots an even sharper trend among younger Britons: half of Gen Z and 36% of millennials say they’ll adopt a meat-free diet in 2025. If younger cohorts hold steady, the UK’s total vegan-vegetarian population could double within a decade.

A head-count of global vegans — 79 million and climbing

Quantifying worldwide dietary habits is notoriously tricky, but analysts estimate roughly 79 million people now identify as vegan, up from single-digit millions in the early 2010s.

That figure tracks self-reported identity rather than occasional plant-based meals — suggesting a dedicated base large enough to sway food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurant chains.

Following the money: market projections through 2035

Consumer sentiment is only part of the shift. Dollars (and euros, pounds, pesos) tell the rest.

Future Market Insights forecasts the global plant-based food sector to grow from $14.2 billion in 2025 to $44.2 billion by 2035—a triple-digit leap fueled by repeat purchases, product innovation, and mainstream distribution. For context, that 2035 projection rivals today’s global yogurt market.

Investment follows demand.

In 2024 alone, major retailers added 1,500 new plant-based SKUs across Europe and North America.

Analysts cite three tailwinds: younger shoppers, climate-driven corporate pledges, and institutional food-service contracts demanding meat-free defaults.

Health still ranks #1 among personal motivators

Environmental ethics may grab headlines, but surveys continue to rank health benefits as the top reason people go plant-based.

A sweeping meta-analysis of 150+ studies found that predominantly plant-based eaters enjoy a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with omnivores. That stat carries weight in cultures where heart disease is the leading cause of death.

Dietitians point to three mechanisms:

  1. Lower saturated fat intake
  2. Higher fiber consumption
  3. Plentiful antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

For flexitarians—those who still eat some meat—simply swapping beef for beans a few nights a week moves cholesterol and blood-pressure numbers in the right direction.

Climate math: up to 75 % smaller carbon footprints

Health isn’t the only driver, especially among Gen Z. Milky Plant’s same data set shows that switching to a plant-based diet can shrink an individual’s food-related carbon footprint by as much as 75%.

That reduction eclipses even aggressive travel cutbacks for many people, making dietary change one of the fastest ways to lower personal emissions without expensive tech.

Add water savings (up to 54% less water than meat-heavy diets, according to separate FAO studies) and land-use efficiencies, and plant-rich plates become a triple-bottom-line solution — health, planet, and budget.

Speaking of budgets: eating plants costs 21–34 % less

One persistent myth claims vegan food is pricey.

Yet the UK Vegetarian Society’s cost analysis paints a different picture: households that switch to plant-based meals can trim food bills by 21–34%.

Beans, lentils, seasonal produce, and bulk grains typically underprice meat and dairy, even after factoring in plant-based milks or specialty items.

During 2024’s inflation spike, budget-minded shoppers in multiple countries cited cheaper vegan staples as a key incentive for sticking with Veganuary challenges.

Veganuary: the global on-ramp

And Veganuary keeps breaking its own records.

The nonprofit behind the month-long pledge tallied 25.8 million participants in January 2025 — a 35% increase over 2024, with sign-ups spanning 228 countries and territories.

Corporations joined too: more than 1,000 restaurants and brands launched temporary vegan menus that later became permanent after demand held steady.

Veganuary’s impact extends beyond January.

Follow-up surveys show about one in three participants stay fully vegan, and another third remain mostly plant-based long-term—a funnel that steadily widens the committed population each year.

Closing the intention gap: three levers that work

Despite rising numbers, the earlier “68 % interest vs 20 % adoption” gap persists. Data and on-the-ground experience suggest three levers help people move from curiosity to commitment:

  1. Accessibility and price parity
    Supermarkets now stock plant-based milks, cheeses, and proteins beside their animal counterparts, often at comparable prices. Cost savings become obvious when shoppers compare unit prices of beans vs. beef.

  2. Cultural familiarity
    Regional dishes reimagined with plants—think lentil shepherd’s pie in the UK or jackfruit barbacoa tacos in Mexico—lower the novelty barrier. Studies show people stick with diet changes when they don’t feel they’re “giving up” cultural staples.

  3. Institutional nudges
    Universities, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias offering default plant-based menus subtly normalize vegan options. Behavioral economists often point out that default choices can boost plant-based uptake by up to 30%.

Looking ahead: where adoption could land by 2030

If current trajectories hold—especially the Gen Z wave—modelling by several market analysts suggests that global vegan and vegetarian populations could surpass 10% of humanity by 2030.

That’s roughly 800 million people.

Throw in flexitarians (who already outnumber full vegans three-to-one) and the majority of meals eaten at home could be meat-free within a decade.

Such a shift would ripple far beyond personal health.

Researchers calculate that replacing half the world’s animal-sourced meals with plant-based alternatives could free enough cropland to reforest an area the size of Australia — while slashing global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10%.

Key takeaways for 2025

  • Interest is sky-high, but adoption still trails: two-thirds of consumers want more plant-based meals, yet only one in five make it a regular habit.

  • Younger generations are the engine: half of UK Gen Z and over a third of millennials plan meat-free diets this year.

  • Health, climate, and cost align: lower disease risk, up to 75 % less carbon, and 21–34 % savings on grocery bills create a rare triple win.

  • Veganuary is the gateway: 25.8 million people trialed vegan eating in January 2025 — many stay on board.

  • Market momentum is undeniable: the plant-based sector is forecast to triple in value by 2035, echoing consumer demand.

Together, these data points paint a picture of a dietary revolution in progress — one that swaps steak for soy, butter for bean spread, and in doing so, pares back planetary pressure while padding household budgets.

The question for 2025 isn’t whether plant-based eating will grow. It’s how quickly global habits will close the gap between stated intention and daily reality.

What’s Your Plant-Powered Archetype?

Ever wonder what your everyday habits say about your deeper purpose—and how they ripple out to impact the planet?

This 90-second quiz reveals the plant-powered role you’re here to play, and the tiny shift that makes it even more powerful.

12 fun questions. Instant results. Surprisingly accurate.

 

Avery White

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Formerly a financial analyst, Avery translates complex research into clear, informative narratives. Her evidence-based approach provides readers with reliable insights, presented with clarity and warmth. Outside of work, Avery enjoys trail running, gardening, and volunteering at local farmers’ markets.

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