The latest figures about people living vegetarian or vegan show an increase of 14% over the previous year and for the fifth time in a row, the association Swissveg announced in its annual report on Tuesday.
The association said the higher media presence of the disadvantages of meat consumption and the easier access to information via the internet as reasons for the increase.
in 2022, Swissveg counted 304,000 vegetarians in Switzerland. 42,000 people (0.6% of the 8.7 million population) ate a vegan diet, abstaining from all products of animal origin. This made up for the small dip during the Covid pandemic, Swissveg said.
More than half of the respondents said they eat meat substitutes.
Women and young
Overall, women continue to be more inclined to switch to a meatless diet than men and vegetarianism is more popular with the younger generation compared with the over-55 age group, as well as with university graduates.
A majority of the respondents cited ecological and ethical motives, above all animal welfare, as reasons for choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet.
The figures are based on the Mach consumer study. This is based on 14-year-olds who speak German, French or Italian. About 30,000 people took part in the telephone survey about eating habits in Switzerland regularly carried out since 2015. Since 2019, the survey has covered vegetarians.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
European nations snub Swiss-made weapons over Ukraine restrictions
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Swiss initiative wants to boost security of medical supplies
This content was published on
A people’s initiative calling for Switzerland to boost the development, production and storage of drugs has been submitted in Bern.
Public prosecutor wants custody for Zurich knife attacker
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has requested that the man who attacked and injured three children with a knife in Zurich on Tuesday be remanded in custody.
This content was published on
Swiss judges want to dissolve the traditional link between parties and court members, including mandatory contributions to a political party.
A full-time workload increases risk of cancer, says Swiss study
This content was published on
Full-time workers have an increased risk of cancer, say researchers from the University of Fribourg. The reasons for this are unclear.
Zurich cycling organisers to pressure UCI to address fatal accidents
This content was published on
The organising committee of the Road and Para-cycling World Championships in Zurich say the UCI must address fatal accidents like that of Muriel Furrer.
Swiss retailer Galaxus to create 1,000 jobs in Germany
This content was published on
The online retailer Galaxus, owned by Migros, is building a new logistics centre in Germany that will employ 1,000 people.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The challenge of going vegan: why I’m putting engineered foods on my plate
This content was published on
There are many vegetarian and vegan eateries and food shops in Switzerland. But moving to a more sustainable diet is not always easy.
Demand for plant-based products shoots up in Switzerland
This content was published on
Plant-based burgers, schnitzels, yoghurt and other vegetarian or vegan substitute products are flying off Swiss supermarket shelves.
This content was published on
In our new series on the foods of the future, we tell you about the science behind new foods and how our way of eating is changing.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.