Vegetarianism by country

Vegetarian restaurant buffet, Taipei, Taiwan.

Around the world vegetarianism is viewed in different lights. In some areas there is cultural and even legal support, where in others the diet is poorly understood or even frowned upon. In some countries (such as India and the United Kingdom) food labelling is in place which can make it easier for vegetarians to identify foods compatible with their diets. In some others, a request for a vegetarian meal may result in one being served tuna or a vegetable soup made with meat stock.

Asia

China

In China, although it is still a fairly rare practice, vegetarianism has been around since at least the 7th Century and has been practised by devout Buddhists. In recent years, it has seen a new resurgence in the cities as the emerging middle class in China pay attention to issues of health and diet. In 2010, the Prime Minister of the PRoC, Wen Jiabao (溫家寶總理), proposed a nationwide campaign of "one day of vegetarian every week" (每週一素), mainly as part of a broader environmental platform.

Republic of China (Taiwan)

In Taiwan, 1.7 million people, or ten percent of the population of Taiwan, follows a vegetarian diet at least some of the time. There are more than 6,000 vegetarian eating establishments in Taiwan . Food labeling laws for vegetarian food are the world's strictest, as more than 2 million Taiwanese use vegetarian food .

India

Labeling used in India to distinguish vegetarian products (left) from non-vegetarian ones (right).

In India vegetarianism is usually synonymous with lacto vegetarianism, although lacto-ovo vegetarianism is practiced as well. Most restaurants in India clearly distinguish and market themselves as being either "Non-Vegetarian", "Vegetarian" or "Pure Vegetarian" (lacto vegetarian). Vegetarian restaurants abound, and usually many vegetarian (Shakahari: plant-eater, in Sanskrit) options are available. Animal based ingredients (other than milk and honey) such as lard, gelatin and meat stock are not used in the traditional cuisine.

According to the 2006 Hindu-CNN-IBN State of the Nation Survey, 31% of Indians are vegetarians, while another 9% consumes eggs. Among the various communities, vegetarianism was most common among Jains, Brahmins at 55%, and less frequent among Muslims (3%) and residents of coastal states respectively. Other surveys cited by FAO, and USDA estimate 20%-42% of the Indian population as being vegetarian. These surveys indicate that even Indians who do eat meat, do so infrequently, with less than 30% consuming it regularly; although the reasons are partially economical.

India has devised a system of marking edible products made from only vegetarian ingredients, with a green dot in a green square. A mark of a brown dot in a brown square conveys that some animal based ingredients were used. Even medicines are similarly marked: a well-known Omega-3 capsule made from flax seeds is marked with a red dot as the capsule uses non-vegetarian ingredients.

Recent growth in India's organized retail has also been hit by some controversy. Strict vegetarians are demanding meatless supermarkets

Israel

In Israel, practicing lacto-ovo vegetarianism is relatively easy, due to Jewish dietary laws, or kosher laws. Kosher food cannot contain pork or shellfish, and meat and dairy cannot be combined in any way. As a result, most kosher restaurants serve either only dairy or only meat, along with bread, vegetables, fruits, etc. Fish, however, is not considered to be meat under Jewish laws, so it may be served in "dairy" restaurants. Nonetheless, the "dairy" restaurants are usually a very safe bet for ovo-lacto-vegetarians.

Australia

In Australia some manufacturers who target the vegetarian market will label their foods with the statement 'suitable for vegetarians', however, except for foods intended for export to the UK this labelling can be inconsistent. Flavourings in ingredients lists do not need to specify if they come from animal origin. As such, natural flavour could be derived from either plant or animal sources. Animal rights organisations such as Animal Liberation promote vegan and vegetarian diets. "Vegetarian Week" runs from 01 - 7 October every year and food companies are taking advantage of the growing number of vegetarians by producing meat free alternatives of popular dishes including Sausages and Mash and Spaghetti Bolognese.

Europe

Maoz Vegetarian restaurant in Paris

The definition of vegetarianism throughout Europe is not uniform, creating the potential for products to be labelled inaccurately .

Belgium

Since May 2009, Belgium has the first city in the world (Ghent) with a weekly "veggie day".

France

In France the situation is similar to that in Spain, but is slightly more favourable to vegetarians. The first Veggie Pride of the world was held in Paris.

See also: List of French vegetarians

Germany

In Germany, according with a survey conducted by Institut Produkt und Markt, 9% of the population (7,380,000 people) are vegetarian . The confusion of vegetarianism with pescetarianism/pollotarianism is common. There is no food labeling in place, and buying vegetarian foods can involve reading the fine print ingredients list ("Zutaten") on many food products. However, widespread whole foods stores provide vegetarian foods even in remote areas.

See also: List of German vegetarians

Iceland

In Iceland, vegetarianism is rare among the local population. However, the high level of tourism has brought an increase in vegetarian restaurants and options, mostly in Reykjavik. Even in small towns with only a few restaurants, there will often be something vegetarian on the menu.

Ireland

In Ireland, food labeling is in place.

See also: List of Irish vegetarians

Norway

In Norway, conditions are similar to Germany, except pollotarianism is largely unknown and organic foods stores are less widespread. Ovo-lacto-vegetarians make up 1–2% of the population, and food targeted for vegetarians is sold mainly in health food stores and supermarkets that focus on selection. Most restaurants will have one or two vegetarian entries on the menu, or at least produce something on request.

Portugal

The Vegetarian Society of Portugal was founded c. 1908 by Amílcar de Sousa. In 2007, the number of vegetarians in Portugal was estimated at 30,000.

Spain

In Spain vegetarian restaurants and stores are rare. Some Spanish vegetarians argue that this situation is due to the fact that the Franco Regime strongly discouraged vegetarianism, which it associated with the political left. It was not until 1975 that doctors were allowed to discuss the health benefits of vegetarianism and vegetarian restaurants were permitted to do business again. With the arrival of more people from Asian countries this is changing a little. Most "vegetarian" meals will be served with egg, or even tuna, even if vegetarians are not that uncommon. Vegans are almost non-existent in Spain, outnumbered instead by "strict vegetarians" which do not eat animal food but can use animal byproducts (leather, wool).

See also: List of Spanish vegetarians

Sweden

In Sweden, the situation is similar to that in Norway but it is easier to find vegetarian food. Almost all food stores and supermarkets have one or two brands of vegetarian food, besides that in the health department. Most restaurants will serve something vegetarian on demand, although traditional Swedish dishes have little to offer vegetarians.

See also: List of Swedish vegetarians

The Netherlands

Vegetarianism is fairly common in The Netherlands. A study has shown that the number of vegetarians out of a population of nearly 16.5 million people increased from 560,000 in 2004 to 720,000 in 2006. It is estimated that 4.5% of the Dutch population don't eat meat. The number of part time vegetarians grew rapidly as well: around 3.5 million Dutch citizens abstain from eating meat a few days a week.

The sales of meat substitutes has an annual growth of around 25%, making it one of the fastest growing markets in the Netherlands. In supermarkets and stores it is sometimes necessary to read the fine print on products in order to make sure that there are no animal-originated ingredients. Increasingly, however, vegetarian products are labeled with the international "V-label", overseen by the Dutch vegetarian association.

Veganism is uncommon in the Netherlands: The Dutch Association for Veganism estimates there are approximately 16,000 vegans in the Netherlands, or around 0.1% of the Dutch population.

See also: List of vegetarians § Netherlands

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, increasing numbers of people have adopted a vegetarian diet since the end of World War II, especially since the BSE (Mad cow disease) crisis of the 1990s. The Food Standards Agency Public Attitudes to Food survey 2009 reported that 3% of respondents were found to be "completely vegetarian", with an additional 5% "partly vegetarian (don't eat some types of fish or meat)". Some independent market studies suggest that vegetarians constitute 7% to 11% of the UK adult population (4 million people).As of 2003 the Vegetarian Society estimates that there are between three and four million vegetarians in the UK. There are twice as many vegetarian women as men. Despite the clear classification by the Vegetarian Society, some people in the UK wrongly identify as vegetarians while still eating fish, either for health reasons, or because of differing ethical perspectives on vegetarianism, while others use the term 'flexitarian' or part-vegetarian. As of 2009, people in the UK are now also being identified with the labels 'meat-avoiders' and 'meat-reducers' by marketeers, denoting people who do not self-identify as vegetarians, but are reducing or avoiding meat for reasons of health or climate change impacts, with one survey identifying 23% of the population as 'meat-reducers', and 10% as 'meat-avoiders', although the same survey indicated the 'vast majority' in the UK still eat meat, with one-in-five eating meat every day.

'Vegetarian' and 'vegan' are not terms defined in law at either a UK or European level. Nonetheless, foods labeled as suitable for vegetarians or vegans are subject to provisions within the Trades Descriptions Act 1968. The Food Standards Agency issues guidance on the labelling of foods as suitable for vegetarians:

The term 'vegetarian' should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of, products derived from animals that have died, have been slaughtered, or animals that die as a result of being eaten. Animals means farmed, wild or domestic animals, including for example, livestock poultry, game, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, amphibians, tunicates, echinoderms, molluscs and insects.

— Food Standards Agency

In addition to voluntary labelling, the Vegetarian Society operates a scheme whereby foods that meet its strict criteria can be labelled "Vegetarian Society approved".Under this scheme a product is vegetarian if it is free of meat, fowl, fish, shellfish, meat or bone stock, animal or carcass fats, gelatin, aspic, or any other ingredient resulting from slaughter, such as rennet . Cheese is often labelled as well, making it possible to identify cheeses that have been made with rennet derived from non-animal sources. Many hard cheeses in continental Europe contain rennet derived from animal sources .

See also: List of British vegetarians

North America

Canada

In Canada, vegetarianism is usually synonymous with lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. However, vegetarians are sometimes wrongly assumed to be pescetarians or pollotarians who tolerate meat from fish or poultry, respectively. Approximately 4.0% of adults are vegetarians as of 2003. Vegetarianism in Canada is highly regional and vegetarians (and vegetarian restaurants) are significantly easier to find in urban areas than in rural ones. Large cities such as Toronto and Vancouver have numerous vegetarian restaurants to choose from; however throughout Canada it is typically easy to find vegetarian options at most restaurants. Vegetarian and vegan foods have become increasingly available in most grocery stores.

USA

Main article: Vegetarianism in the United States

In the United States, vegetarianism is usually synonymous with lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. However, vegetarians are sometimes wrongly assumed to be pescetarians or pollotarians who tolerate meat from fish or poultry, respectively. 2.8% of adult Americans are vegetarian, with another 6 to 10% stating that they are "almost vegetarian". U.S. vegetarian food sales have doubled since 1998, reaching $1.6 billion in 2003. The vegetarian and vegan population is expected to continue its increase steadily. In addition, vegetarianism in the United States generally reflects regional cultural differences. It is generally easier to find vegetarian options in urban restaurants than in rural ones. A similar comparison exists between West Coast and Midwestern city restaurants. Restaurants that cater specifically to vegans are rare outside places like New York City, parts of the Northeast, and the West Coast; however, this seems to be slowly changing as vegetarian market innovations (such as veggie burgers) attain wider acceptance, demand, and distribution.

Vegetarian and vegan foods have become increasingly available in most grocery stores. By US law all ingredients must be listed on the label.

About 1 in 200 children and teenagers in the United States are vegetarians.

A 2002 poll of American adults found the following reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle:

Most important reason for becoming a vegetarian

Health	32%
Because of chemicals and hormones in meat products	15%
Don't like the taste of meat	13%
Love of animals	11%
Animal rights	10%
Religious reasons	6%
Concern for the planet	4%
To lose weight	3%
To reduce hunger and famine worldwide	1%

A 2008 Harris Interactive study of 5,050 respondents found that "approximately 0.5 percent, or 1 million [Americans] are vegans, who consume no animal products at all," while a significantly higher number, 3.2% of U.S. adults (7.3 million people) "follow a vegetarian-based diet" and 10% of U.S., adults, or 22.8 million people, "say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet."

South America

In South America, vegetarianism is generally uncommon and vegetarian food is often difficult to find.

Brazil

There are no specific polls about vegetarianism in Brazil but there are indications that vegetarianism is growing. Some say that in Brazil at least 5% of the population is vegetarian.

Recently, agriculture industry is offering soy-based substitutes for meat.