Vegetarianism and veganism among young adults in selected European countries 2023

In 2023, Germany had the highest share of polled individuals aged between 18 and 29 years of age who were vegetarian or vegan in Europe. Except for France, all countries had a share of vegetarians that was higher than the share of vegans.


Environmental issues

In Germany, 37 percent of consumers that stopped, reduced, or have never eaten red meat are motivated by environmental concerns. The number for France is slightly under a quarter. Spain and Italy fall in between. Reducing consumption of meat and dairy products would likely be a somewhat efficient method of reducing the environmental impact of the agricultural industry on the planet. In the UK, greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural industry amounted to approximately 48 million metric tons in 2021. For comparison, in 2020, total emissions in the EU were about 382.5 million metric tons. 

 European perspectives

The meat-free market is gaining momentum in Germany, where the sales value of meat substitutes is expected to reach approximately 744 million U.S. dollars by the end of 2024. At the same time, meat consumption in Germany has been falling for years and is likely to continue to do so. The overall European trend is similar.