Almost half (42%) said animals were their number one motivation for trying a vegan diet, followed by personal health (22%) and the environment (16%). Other reasons included for a change/challenge/curiosity (9%), global health (7%) and for a friend/partner/family member (3%).
The survey was sent to participants who opted to receive Veganuary’s support through the 31-day tailored email series. At the end of the 31 days, Veganuary asked them about their experience and 18,129 people responded.
Half (52%) were still eating meat and/or fish when they signed up to take part, 29% were vegetarian and 19% were vegan. Nearly one-third (30%) of those who were not already vegan before Veganuary plan to stay vegan at the end of their pledge.
Around three-quarters (74%) of those not staying vegan plan to at least halve their intake of animal products going forward and 73% are very or extremely likely to try vegan again in the future.
The number one reason people decided to stay vegan is that they learned more about veganism (24%), followed by improved health (20%) and finding it easier than expected (17%).
Toni Vernelli, international head of communications at Veganuary, said: “These incredible results show that Veganuary is so much more than a one-month pledge as taking part leads to lasting diet change for most participants. With 82% of our 2024 participants planning to at least halve their intake of animal products permanently – including nearly one-third who plan to stay fully vegan, Veganuary really is driving positive change for animals, people and the planet.
“We work very hard to equip our participants with as much useful advice, delicious recipes and friendly support as possible when they opt to receive our 31 daily emails, so it’s very rewarding to know that 98% would recommend Veganuary to others. This figure has been consistent for many years, demonstrating the value of Veganuary’s work in making plant-based eating easy and accessible for everyone.”
Around half saw some improvement to their overall health (48%), with increased energy (47%), improved mood (48%), better skin (38%) and desired change in body weight (35%) being the most common benefits.