Since veganism and diets aren’t included in the Australian census, we’re not certain just how many vegans are in Australia. That being said, we can make an educated estimate that about 2% of the population, or ~500,000 Australians, identify as vegan.
Global marketing company Mintel reported that 17% of German, 15% of US, and 12% of UK food and drinks launched from September 2013 to August 2018 claimed to be vegan on their packaging. In Australia, 8.7% of food products are now launched with “vegan” or “animal product free” labelling.
As for vegetarianism, research by Roy Morgan suggests 12% of Australians were eating a wholly or mostly vegetarian diet in 2019 – that’s nearly 2.5 million people. That being said, the impact of plant-based diets on the food industry is truly disproportionate.
A further 14% of Australians intend to go vegetarian or vegan, while 22% plan on reducing their meat consumption. This is like due to greater accessibility and convenience of vegan food options, as well as ethical, environmental, and health concerns.
