Posted on
August 08, 2025 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, Charles Stahler, and Debra Wasserman
How many vegetarians and vegans are there in the United States? To find out, The Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegan Journal commissioned YouGov PLC to ask the following question in a national poll:
Which one, if any, of the following best describes your eating behavior? Please select the option that best applies.
1) I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
2) I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
3) I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
4) I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
5) I usually eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs
6) I usually eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, or poultry
7) None of these
We found that 59% of U.S. adults always, sometimes, or usually eat vegetarian, including vegan meals. Thirty percent of U.S. adults always, sometimes, or usually eat vegan meals. This large market can be one reason that vegetarian and vegan options are now commonly found in colleges, supermarkets, and even quick service chains. Five percent always or usually eat vegan meals. This is most likely the group that will passionately promote vegan items to the larger market.
Of those that always or usually eat vegan meals, about the same percentage are male (5%) or female (5%), and the same percentage are from the Northeast, Midwest, and South (5% each), with a bit higher from the West (7%). Blacks (8%) and Latinos (6%) fall into this category at a higher percentage than Whites (4%). The largest group are 18-34 year olds (9%). City dwellers (8%) are more likely to always or mostly eat vegan meals than those that are rural (3%) or from the suburbs (4%). Income didn’t make that much of a difference, with 6% of those earning under $40k, and 5% each of those with from $40k to $79.9k and $80k plus always or usually eating vegan meals.
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION
1% Vegans
2% Vegetarians (not including vegan)
3% Total Vegetarians, including vegan*
25% Sometimes eat vegan meals
22% Sometimes eat vegetarian meals (not including vegan)
4% Usually eat vegan meals
5% Usually eat vegetarian meals (not including vegan)
30% Always, sometimes or usually eat vegan meals
5% Always or usually eat vegan meals
59% Always, sometimes or usually eat vegetarian meals, including vegan
41% Does not eat vegetarian or vegan meals
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION THAT ALWAYS OR USUALLY EATS VEGAN MEALS
5% Total
5% Male
5% Female
9% Ages 18-34
4% Ages 35-54
3% Ages 55 Plus
5% Northeast**
5% Midwest
5% South
7% West
4% White
8% Black
6% Hispanic
5% High school graduate/no High school
4% College graduate
7% Post graduate
8% Parent of child under 18
6% Income under $40,000
5% Income $40,000 to 79,900
5% Income over $80,000
8% Urban residence
4% Suburban
3% Rural
**NORTHEAST includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. SOUTH includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. MIDWEST includes: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. WEST includes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
*In another VRG YouGov poll, in February, 2025, in a similar question, we found four percent of adults were vegetarian, including vegan. If we estimate 263 million adults, (Kids Count Data Center), using 3%-4%, about 8 to 10 million adults in the U.S are vegetarian including vegan. About 13 million always or usually eat vegan meals.
* We define a vegetarian as someone who never eats/does not consume meat, fish, seafood, or poultry.
We define a vegan as a vegetarian who doesn’t/never eats meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs.
This survey was conducted by YouGov. All figures, unless stated otherwise, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,199 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between June 27-July 1, 2025 online in the United States. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults aged 18 and over. Results are based on a sample and are subject to statistical errors normally associated with sample-based information. For the above questions, we can have a 95% confidence level that VRG’s numbers from YouGov are plus or minus one percent (margin of error). Figures between 15% and 40%, and between 60% and 85% are plus or minus 2 percent. Be careful when comparing poll numbers to other polls or countries, as questions and definitions of vegetarian and vegan are often different That is why we name foods, and use the word “never,” rather than just asking if you are vegetarian or vegan.
You can see other Vegetarian Resource Group polls at www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll
