The UK-based vegan organisation Veganuary has produced its half-year survey revealing that 28% of participants who were not vegan when they signed up for Veganuary 2023 are still eating a plant-based diet six months later. The survey was sent to 469,000 Veganuary 2023 participants worldwide, and 6,967 people responded.
About 34% of the respondents who were not vegan before but continued with the plant-based diet after January said that learning more about veganism was their number one reason for staying plant-based, followed by 30% saying that “being vegan was easier than I expected” as the key reason they were continuing eating a plant-based diet, 16% saying it was “Improved health” (62% of participants who have continued to eat a fully plant-based diet for the past six months have experienced health improvements), 9% “discovering great tasty food, 5% “support from friends and family,” 4% “meeting more vegans,” and 3% “support from the online vegan community.”
Respondents who were not vegan before were asked if they had been more active in promoting veganism, and 56% said yes (3% said that they had been somehow less active). Interestingly, 53% said that one or more people they know tried plant-based food as a result of them being vegan.
As for the most likely reasons why respondents did not continue eating the diet vegans eat, 21% said “Difficulty when eating out at restaurants,” 20% said “Missing non-vegan foods,” and 12% said “Pressure from friends and family.” Of those who did not continue with the diet, 96% said that they would be likely to try again.
In 2023, some 700,000 people worldwide took the pledge of eating a plant-based diet for January, 80,000 higher than a year earlier. Toni Vernelli, Veganuary’s Head of Communications, told Plant Based News, “These results show that Veganuary is helping people make lasting diet changes that are good for the planet and their health.”
