Share of adults that plan to not eat meat by generation in Great Britain in 2023

In December 2022, Generation Z was the generation with the highest share of responding adults who planned not to eat meat in the coming year in Great Britain (GB). Approximately 43 percent stated that they did not plan on eating meat in 2023. The share of respondents from the Silent generation that stated that they do not plan on eating meat was approximately one percent.

Reduction in the meat consumption of British consumers

Recently, there have been noticeable changes in meat consumption by consumers in the United Kingdom (UK). Almost one-third of survey respondents stated that they eat less or much less meat, as compared to half a year ago. Moreover, an average of approximately 40 percent of British respondents had recently purchased plant-based alternatives for the first time. This was noticeably higher than the share of respondents who had done so in the United States and Germany, which was on average around 31 and 37 percent, respectively. Not only are meat alternatives tried by many new consumers in the UK, but such products are also consumed across all generations, with relatively low variations. The share of consumers who eat meat substitutes in the UK by generation was lowest among Baby boomers and highest among millennials, but only varies from 17 to 23 percent, respectively.

Veganism in Great Britain

According to a recent survey in the UK, the share of vegans is approximately four percent. There seems to be no noticeable difference among the share of vegans when it comes to gender. Moreover, an average of about 55 percent of adults in the UK follow no nutritional rules or diets. Among the different regions in GB, the percentage of vegans slightly varies. In London, the share of people who follow a vegan diet tends to be particularly high, whereas the share of vegans in the Midlands tends to be relatively low. The main reason for being vegan in the UK is an ethical motivation. Almost 90 percent of survey respondents stated that they do not consume animal products because they think the way animals are farmed and killed for food is cruel. Environmental reasons were also considered by about four-fifths of respondents.