More than 250,000 people from 190 countries registered for the month-long campaign, Veganuary, according to new data.
Similar to previous years, of the 250,310 people who took part, the majority (87 per cent) were women, while almost half were meat-eaters (44 per cent) and were in the 25-34 age range (21 per cent).
For the first time ever, health became the major driver for people taking part (46 per cent), with animals (34 per cent) and then the environment (12 per cent) cited as reasons.
In terms of how the event fared, 60 per cent said the Veganuary challenge was easier than they had anticipated, and 51 per cent felt their decision to stay vegan was influenced by the discovery of great-tasting food. Furthermore, 63 per cent of participants reported an improvement to their overall health and 98 per cent said they would recommend Veganuary to others.
Looking ahead, 77 per cent of people surveyed who said they wouldn’t stay vegan said they were ‘very likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to try veganism again in the future, and right now, 47 per cent say they are committed to remaining vegan.
Matthew Glover, co-founder of Veganuary, commented: “What a year it’s been! More people than ever pledged to try only plant-based foods and we are grateful to every single person who took part and made such a positive change. Veganuary can be seen as a fun, new year challenge – and we really hope it is a fun experience for all! – but we never forget there are serious issues at stake. Climate change threatens irreversible harm, forests are being decimated, and oceans polluted, while animals suffer unseen in factory farms and wild animals are driven to extinction. Behind this destruction and suffering is animal agriculture.
“The good news is that we each have the power to protect our planet and its inhabitants with every plant-based meal we eat. That is why we are so proud of the class of 2019, and why we, as a charity, will work harder than ever to grow the number of participants for Veganuary 2020, whilst maintaining a good ratio of people choosing to stay vegan.”
