Vegetarian diet statistics describe several different things: self-identification, reported food frequency, study-defined dietary groups, nutrient targets, and measured health outcomes. Across the supplied evidence, U.S. survey estimates range from 3% to 5% for self-identified vegetarian adults, while cohort and trial research measures much larger questions about diet composition and health.
Key Vegetarian Diet Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2018, 5% of U.S. adults considered themselves vegetarian, according to Gallup’s cross-sectional survey estimate.
- In 2018, 3% of U.S. adults considered themselves vegan in Gallup’s U.S. survey.
- In 2022, about 3% of U.S. adults were vegetarian, including about 1% vegan, under the Vegetarian Resource Group poll’s definitions.
- In 2022, about 7% of U.S. adults reported never eating meat, poultry, or fish in the Vegetarian Resource Group poll.
- In 2022, about 12% of U.S. adults reported eating meat, poultry, or fish less than once a week.
- In 2018, 7% of U.S. adults aged 18–29 identified as vegetarian in Gallup’s survey.
- In 2018, 5% of U.S. adults aged 18–29 identified as vegan in Gallup’s survey.
- In the EPIC-Oxford cohort, 65,429 United Kingdom participants contributed baseline dietary data during recruitment from 1993 to 2009.
- At EPIC-Oxford baseline, 18,840 participants were vegetarian and 2,246 were vegan.
- A diabetes meta-analysis through 2013 pooled 6 controlled trials involving 255 adults with diabetes.
- In those diabetes trials, vegetarian diets lowered HbA1c by about 0.39 percentage points versus comparison diets.
- In randomized trials reviewed through 2017, vegetarian diets reduced body weight by about 2.02 kg compared with omnivorous diets.
- The same review found average reductions of 2.66 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 1.69 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.
- In EPIC-Oxford follow-up through 2009, vegetarians had a reported ischemic heart disease hazard ratio of 0.87 versus meat eaters.
- In Adventist Health Study-2 follow-up through 2015, vegetarians had a reported all-cause mortality hazard ratio of 0.91 versus nonvegetarians.
- The health-outcomes review found a 23% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes among vegetarians in pooled observational evidence through 2017.
- NHS guidance states that adults need 1.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day under its United Kingdom guidance.
Contents
- Vegetarian and vegan adoption statistics
- Vegetarian diet trends by age and sex
- What vegetarian diet studies measure
- Vegetarian diet statistics for weight and cardiometabolic health
- Cohort evidence on vegetarian diets and health outcomes
- Nutrient targets and practical gaps
Vegetarian and Vegan Adoption Statistics
Survey percentages depend heavily on the definition used. Self-identifying as vegetarian is not the same as reporting no meat, poultry, or fish, and eating animal foods less than once a week is broader still.
| Measure | Result | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| Self-identified vegetarian | 5% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Self-identified vegan | 3% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Vegetarian, including vegan subset | About 3% | U.S. adults, 2022 |
| Vegan within the 2022 poll definition | About 1% | U.S. adults, 2022 |
| Never meat, poultry, or fish | About 7% | U.S. adults, 2022 |
| Meat, poultry, or fish less than weekly | About 12% | U.S. adults, 2022 |
Gallup’s 2018 report, “In U.S., 5% Consider Themselves Vegetarians, 3% Vegans”, describes the first two estimates as self-identification measures and notes sampling error. The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 2022 poll uses an online, self-reported survey and separates labels from reported eating frequency.
These figures should not be read as a time series showing a precise national change. The surveys differ in wording, fieldwork, and classification, so the 2018 and 2022 estimates are useful context but are not directly interchangeable.
Vegetarian Diet Trends by Age and Sex
Gallup’s 2018 U.S. cross-tab suggests that identification varied by age and sex. These are survey estimates, not population registries or repeated measures of the same individuals.
| Group | Vegetarian | Vegan | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 6% | 4% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Men | 4% | 2% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Ages 18–29 | 7% | 5% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Ages 30–49 | 5% | 3% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Ages 50–64 | 3% | 2% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
| Ages 65 and older | 4% | 1% | U.S. adults, 2018 |
The highest reported identification in this cross-tab was among adults aged 18–29: 7% vegetarian and 5% vegan. Gallup’s 2018 report cautions that subgroup estimates are less precise than the overall estimate because they come from a cross-sectional survey.
Sex categories also differed in the report: 6% of U.S. women and 4% of U.S. men identified as vegetarian, while the corresponding vegan estimates were 4% and 2%. These differences describe the survey sample and should not be treated as evidence that sex or age causes dietary choice.
What Vegetarian Diet Studies Measure
Large observational cohorts often classify participants through questionnaires rather than clinical tests. EPIC-Oxford illustrates the scale and granularity of this approach in the United Kingdom.
| EPIC-Oxford baseline group | Participants | Period and geography |
|---|---|---|
| All participants with baseline dietary data | 65,429 | Recruitment and follow-up beginning 1993–2009, United Kingdom |
| Vegetarians | 18,840 | Baseline study classification |
| Vegans | 2,246 | Baseline study classification |
| Fish eaters | 13,039 | Baseline study classification |
| Meat eaters | 31,304 | Baseline study classification |
The EPIC-Oxford cardiovascular disease paper reports these study-defined categories. It is a volunteer cohort, so its composition is not nationally representative, and questionnaire classifications may not capture every change in eating pattern.
Intervention evidence is narrower but can test outcomes under assigned diets. A diabetes review through 2013 pooled 6 controlled trials with 255 participants; its estimates therefore describe selected adults with diabetes rather than all vegetarian or vegan adults.
Vegetarian Diet Statistics for Weight and Cardiometabolic Health
Two reviews reported pooled changes in weight, glucose, and lipids. The numbers below are average differences across heterogeneous interventions and follow-up periods, not guaranteed individual outcomes.
| Outcome | Pooled estimate | Evidence base |
|---|---|---|
| HbA1c | 0.39 percentage points lower | 6 controlled diabetes trials, literature through 2013 |
| Fasting glucose | 0.56 mmol/L lower | Same diabetes review |
| Body weight | 2.02 kg lower | Same diabetes review |
| Total cholesterol | 0.29 mmol/L lower | Same diabetes review |
| LDL cholesterol | 0.12 mmol/L lower | Same diabetes review |
| Triglycerides | 0.14 mmol/L lower | Same diabetes review |
The diabetes systematic review and meta-analysis found these pooled differences versus comparison diets. Diet interventions and comparator diets differed between trials, and not every trial measured every lipid outcome.
A broader systematic review of vegetarian diets and health outcomes included 19 randomized controlled trials and 1,848 randomized-trial participants through 2017. Its pooled randomized comparisons found about 2.02 kg lower body weight, 2.66 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure, 1.69 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure, 0.22 mmol/L lower LDL cholesterol, and 0.24 mmol/L lower total cholesterol.
The review also included 86 observational studies, which should be interpreted separately from randomized trials. Pooled observational comparisons reported approximately 1.7 kg/m² lower body mass index among vegetarians, but definitions and adjustment sets varied.
Cohort Evidence on Vegetarian Diets and Health Outcomes
Cohort studies can reveal long-term associations, but participants choose their diets and may differ in other health behaviors. The following findings therefore should not be presented as randomized causal effects.
In EPIC-Oxford follow-up through 2009, vegetarians had a multivariable ischemic heart disease hazard ratio of 0.87 compared with meat eaters. The paper interprets this as a 13% lower incidence rate after adjustment, while also reporting a hazard ratio of 1.20 for hemorrhagic and other stroke risk; residual confounding, dietary misclassification, and smaller event counts are limitations.
The EPIC-Oxford study used United Kingdom volunteer-cohort data, so its estimates may not generalize to every dietary population or country.
Adventist Health Study-2 provides another health-conscious cohort. The mortality analysis included 73,308 participants enrolled from 2002 to 2007, with follow-up through 2015.
| Dietary category | All-cause mortality result | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarians | Hazard ratio 0.91, or 9% lower hazard | U.S. and Canada, follow-up through 2015 |
| Pescovegetarians | Hazard ratio 0.81, or 19% lower hazard | U.S. and Canada, follow-up through 2015 |
| Lacto-ovo vegetarians | Hazard ratio 0.91, or 9% lower hazard | U.S. and Canada, follow-up through 2015 |
| Vegans | Hazard ratio 0.85, or 15% lower hazard | U.S. and Canada, follow-up through 2015 |
Pescovegetarian is a specific study category and is not strict vegetarianism. The Adventist cohort is also not a general population sample, and diet was self-reported at baseline, leaving possible residual lifestyle confounding.
Across pooled observational evidence through 2017, the health-outcomes review reported 23% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes and 13% lower risk of ischemic heart disease among vegetarians. These are review-derived associations, and the underlying diet definitions and confounding controls differed.
Nutrient Targets and Practical Gaps in Vegetarian Diets
A vegetarian pattern can vary widely in fortified foods, dairy, eggs, legumes, whole grains, and supplements. NHS reference guidance provides targets for United Kingdom adults, but these are recommendations rather than measured population averages or vegetarian-specific intake results.
| Nutrient or guidance group | NHS reference amount | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 1.5 micrograms/day | United Kingdom adults |
| Vitamin D | 10 micrograms/day in autumn and winter | United Kingdom adults |
| Calcium | 700 milligrams/day | United Kingdom adults |
| Iron | 14.8 milligrams/day | Women aged 19–50 in the United Kingdom |
| Iron | 8.7 milligrams/day | Men aged 19 and over in the United Kingdom |
| Selenium | 55 micrograms/day | United Kingdom adults |
| Omega-3 ALA | 1,000 milligrams/day | United Kingdom adults |
| Vitamin B12 in pregnancy and breastfeeding guidance | 6.5 micrograms/day | United Kingdom pregnant or breastfeeding adults |
The NHS vegetarian and vegan diet guidance states these reference amounts and notes that individual needs can differ. Its iron figure for women aged 19–50 is a reference intake, while plant iron has different bioavailability from heme iron; the ALA amount does not imply conversion to longer-chain omega-3s.
For practical interpretation, the most important distinction is between a dietary label and a nutrient-complete pattern. The supplied cohort and trial evidence measures associations or average intervention effects, whereas the NHS figures provide planning targets and do not establish what any particular vegetarian adult consumes.