Today is World Vegan Day – this community in Switzerland has the most vegan diet

Today is World Vegan Day. The term ‘vegan’ is no longer a strange word. The range of vegan and vegetarian foods in supermarkets has exploded in recent years. There are entire shelves full of plant-based products. The people who have been following a vegan diet for a long time are now in “vegan heaven”. Vegan fondue, vegan salmon, vegan cordon bleu, vegan tiramisu – what once seemed impossible is now suddenly available in almost every supermarket.

Many Kaffi’s no longer only offer cow’s milk, but also have milk alternatives that are popular. Vegan influencers have become indispensable on social media and more and more vegan menus can be found on restaurant menus. It seems that the vegan movement has already reached the mainstream. But is it really so? These facts and figures provide an overview.

In Switzerland, advertising media research WEMF conducts the largest annual consumer survey (MACH Consumer). This measures the eating habits of the Swiss population.

About five percent of the Swiss population will eat vegetarian or vegan by 2023. 24 percent of Swiss say they consciously reduce their meat consumption and are flexible workers. However, the majority of the population clearly eats meat at 71 percent, making it an omnivore.

The research shows that more and more people are turning to substitutes, including those who do not consider themselves vegetarians. About 21 percent of the Swiss population says they consume a plant-based substitute at least once a week. It is striking that the majority of consumers who buy substitute products are people who eat meat regularly or occasionally. This shows that replacement products no longer serve niches, but rather a broad target group.

Switzerland is known for its specialties such as fondue, raclette, cheese and chocolate – which is anything but vegan. Despite the wide range of plant-based products, vegans are clearly in the minority in Switzerland. In 2022, the Swissveg association in Switzerland counted approximately 304,000 vegetarians, of which 42,000 were vegans.

What is surprising is the big difference between men and women. Significantly more women eat vegetarian or vegan. More than 60 percent of all vegetarians are women, and among vegans this is more than 80 percent. About 37 percent of vegetarians are men. Nearly 17 percent of vegans are men.

When it comes to age, Swissveg’s analysis shows that young people in particular avoid the consumption of animal products. Almost 50 percent of vegetarians are younger than 34 years old, and among vegans this is even more than 55 percent. It is also striking that older people in particular do not change their eating habits and are therefore less likely to switch to a plant-based diet.

The majority of people in Switzerland who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet come from German-speaking Switzerland. Just over 30 percent of vegetarians and vegans come from Italian-speaking Switzerland. French-speaking Switzerland appears to have the least interest in a plant-based diet, as only 25 percent of vegetarians and vegans come from Western Switzerland.

The range of vegan and vegetarian products in supermarkets has increased enormously in recent years. This is also evident from Coop’s Plant Based Food Report: The sales development of the retail giant’s meat substitutes has made a huge leap, especially in recent years. Coop achieved a turnover of more than 17 million francs in 2022 with schnitzel replacement products. These are among the most popular meat substitutes among Coop consumers.

Coop has the largest range of vegetarian and vegan products in the Swiss retail sector. Upon request, Coop media spokesperson Caspar Frey provided us with information about the vegetarian and vegan range:

Of all Swiss communities, Zurich buys the most vegan products. The people of Baden are especially fond of vegan cheese alternatives. When it comes to meat alternatives, two communities made it into the top 15 this year: Rapperswil-Jona SG and Uster ZH.

Veganism and vegetarianism are also a major problem worldwide. Most people in Asia avoid meat. In its research in Asia, the global market research agency The Nielsen Company counts 19 percent vegetarians and nine percent vegans. There are the fewest vegetarian and vegan people in Europe. Only 5 percent are vegetarian and 2 percent vegan.

The highest percentage of vegetarians live in India. About 38 percent of India’s population is vegetarian. That is more than 508 million people. The share of vegans is also large in Mexico. There, 19 percent, approximately 23 million people, eat vegetarian.