Veganism in Europe

All around the world, veganism is growing on a huge scale. Countries are experiencing a surge in their vegan populations, but some are seeing a steeper increase than others. 

The UK is currently leading the world in vegan food innovation. Vegan launches made up over 20% of overall new food drops in the UK during 2020. There are many US companies that have released plant-based alternatives of their most popular products in Europe before releasing them domestically. I can order a vegan pizza at Dominos in London, but not in Dallas. As veganism only continues its growth, delivery apps are reporting a 330% rise in vegan orders since 2019.    

There is also a global rise in flexitarianism, a diet that focuses on reducing meat and dairy consumption without adhering to strict veganism. Upwards of 41% of the people in the UK either eat meat free or are actively reducing their meat intake. In fact, 10% of Europeans are vegetarian, meaning 75 million people are eating completely meat free. Research shows that the most influential motivators for Austria, Germany, and Portugal are health concerns and environmental sustainability. 

German supermarket chain, Veganz, published a study proving that veganism has doubled from 1.3 million in 2016 to 2.6 million in 2020. They also concluded that almost half of European vegans want to see more options. However, general shoppers are noticing that plant-based baked goods and snacks are becoming more frequent in local stores.  

This increased demand is leading to better products and a more fluid integration with other products in dairy and meat aisles. Veganism is starting to get in people’s faces, and the change that’s been underway is no longer deniable.