A new global analysis from Faunalytics suggests that while veganism is growing worldwide, the pace of adoption remains gradual and the available data may significantly underrepresent dietary realities in large parts of the world.

Drawing from 837 nationally representative data sources across 58 countries between 2015 and 2025, the non-profit research organisation described the study as its most comprehensive examination of vegetarian and vegan dietary trends to date.

The report found that veganism has increased modestly over the past decade, with Europe showing growth of roughly 0.1% annually. However, researchers cautioned that the overwhelming majority of reliable data comes from Europe and North America, raising questions about how accurately global trends are being captured.

According to the analysis, 87% of nationally representative veganism data originated from Europe and North America, regions representing just 16% of the global population.

Meanwhile, no comparable nationally representative data were available for Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, regions that together account for nearly 40% of the world’s population.

For food and beverage manufacturers, the findings underscore both the opportunities and limitations of current plant-based market assumptions. Many industry forecasts and investment strategies rely heavily on Western consumer data, despite the absence of consistent tracking in several high-population markets.

One of the report’s most notable findings was the gap between dietary self-identification and actual consumption patterns. Across multiple regions, significantly more consumers identified as vegan or vegetarian than dietary intake data supported.

In North America, for example, 3.24% of consumers reported following a vegetarian diet, while only 0.75% were found to fully abstain from meat consumption based on dietary intake measures.

Faunalytics said the discrepancy may represent more than a statistical challenge.

“This gap isn’t just a data problem, it’s an opportunity,” the report stated. “People who aspire to a plant-based identity but haven’t fully adopted the diet may be especially receptive to support and messaging that helps them act on their values.”

The organisation also highlighted widespread inconsistency in how researchers define terms such as “vegan,” “vegetarian,” and “flexitarian.” The study identified dozens of distinct definitions across the literature, complicating comparisons across countries, regions, and time periods.

The findings arrive as food and beverage companies continue recalibrating their plant-based strategies following several years of uneven category performance. While some segments, particularly dairy alternatives and high-protein snack products, continue to expand, others have experienced slower growth amid inflationary pressures and shifting consumer priorities.

Faunalytics is calling for more robust data collection in underrepresented regions, greater transparency in dietary definitions, and broader use of dietary intake measures alongside self-identification surveys.

For industry stakeholders, the report serves as a reminder that plant-based consumer behaviour may be more aspirational, and more regionally fragmented, than headline statistics often suggest.