7 Countries with the Highest Number of Vegetarians (2024)

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7 Countries with the Highest Number of Vegetarians? ›

India has the highest number of vegetarians in the world, with around 38% of the population following a vegetarian diet. India also has the lowest meat consumption rate in the world.

India has the highest number of vegetarians in the world, with around 38% of the population following a vegetarian diet. India also has the lowest meat consumption rate in the world.

No other country or part of the world has anywhere close to the number of vegetarian people as India, either in percentage of the population or in total number. India is the unique outlier. Going by percentage of the population, Mexico is the second most vegetarian country, at 19%, then Brazil and Taiwan at 14%.

United Kingdom. Compared to all the countries in the world, the UK has the most vegans.

Long before the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous peoples of Mexico had a diet primarily centered around plant-based foods. Staple crops like corn, beans, and squash, known as "The Three Sisters," formed the basis of their sustenance.

“The Seychelles' top score was driven by its high number of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in relation to its small population, alongside its low annual meat consumption,” says Oliver's Travels. “In the Seychelles, only 35.6kg of meat per capita is consumed annually.

Its widespread vegetarianism originally comes from the Buddhist code (Vinaya) transferred from ancient India which valued not killing animals.

1. India - 3 kg per capita. A vegetable market in India. The world's second most populous, with an astonishing 1.3 billion people, India holds the distinction of consuming the least meat per capita.

Japanese cuisine is known for its heavy use of meat and fish, and even stocks and sauces usually have some ingredients containing meat. Vegetarianism and veganism are not as popular in Japan as it is in the West, so you'll find there's often some confusion as to what you can and can't eat.

When it comes to veg-friendly cuisine, few cities have as much to offer as Portland, Oregon. It's the best city for vegans and vegetarians in the U.S. for the fifth year in a row, according to new research from the financial website WalletHub.

What culture is mostly vegetarian? ›

India. Three of India's major religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism — teach the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence towards all beings. Because of this religious tradition, India has the highest percentage of vegetarians out of all the countries in the world.

Black Americans are almost three times more likely to be vegan than the general population. Celebrities like Beyoncé and Serena Williams have spoken publicly about the benefits of a plant-based diet and are increasing the visibility of plant-based eating in the Black community.

Fish and seafood are common in Egypt's coastal regions. A significant amount of Egyptian cuisine is vegetarian, due to both the historically high price of meat and the needs of the Coptic Christian community, whose religious restrictions require essentially vegan diets for much of the year.

The vast majority of Muslims eat meat; many Islamic jurists consider vegetarianism permissible but not superior to meat-eating. The religious arguments for the vegetarian diet include the requirement for compassion imposed on Muslims by Quran and sunnah and the concept of stewardship (khalifa).

In the United States, roughly five percent of the population is vegetarian. This is about the same level as in other Western countries such as Germany. This does not include the number of pescetarians, who add fish to an otherwise vegetarian diet. About four percent of the U.S. population follows a vegan diet.

Which country eats the most meat? As of 2023, the country that eats the most meat per capita is the United States. Americans consume an average of around 120 kilograms of meat per person per year.