<P> Some countries have strong cultural or religious traditions that promote vegetarianism, such as in India, while in other countries secular ethical concerns dominate, including animal rights and environmental protection, along with health concerns . In many countries, food labeling laws make it easier for vegetarians to identify foods compatible with their diets . </P> <P> Reliable data is lacking due to a lack of polling and the varying definitions of vegetarianism and veganism used in the polls . For example, the latest US poll defines "vegan" according to diets that exclude meat, eggs and dairy, rather than following the accepted definition of veganism as avoiding all animal products as far as possible including honey and clothing . Other polls, like the latest Australian poll, place strict vegetarians and those who follow "almost" vegetarian diets in the same category, while this poll and many others measure only vegetarianism and neglect to include veganism in the poll . Many poll results are contradicted by other poll results from the same country despite similar publication dates, implying a wide margin of error . </P> <P> A study from 2010 estimated that there are 1,450 million vegetarians of necessity and another 75 million of choice . They make approximately 21.8% of the world's population . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Vegetarian diet (%) (includes vegan diet) </Th> <Th> Approx . no. of individuals </Th> <Th> Data set year </Th> <Th> Vegan diet (%) </Th> <Th> Approx . no. of individuals </Th> <Th> Data set year </Th> <Th> Note </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Australia </Td> <Td> 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11% </Td> <Td> 2,100,000 </Td> <Td> 2016 2010 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> As of March 2016, 11.2% of people living in Australia agreed that "The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian ." </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Austria </Td> <Td> 7000900000000000000 ♠ 9% </Td> <Td> 765,000 </Td> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Brazil </Td> <Td> 7000800000000000000 ♠ 8.0% </Td> <Td> 15,200,000 </Td> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Canada </Td> <Td> 7000940000000000000 ♠ 9.4% </Td> <Td> 3,411,000 </Td> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> 2.3 </Td> <Td> 835,000 </Td> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Czech Republic </Td> <Td> 7000150000000000000 ♠ 1.5% </Td> <Td> 235,000 </Td> <Td> 2003 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> China </Td> <Td> 7000400000000000000 ♠ 4%--7000500000000000000 ♠ 5% </Td> <Td> 54,428,000--68,035,000 </Td> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Denmark </Td> <Td> 7000400000000000000 ♠ 4% </Td> <Td> 220,000 </Td> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Finland </Td> <Td> 7000200000000000000 ♠ 2% </Td> <Td> 108,000--329,000 </Td> <Td> 2011 2015 </Td> <Td> 0.5% </Td> <Td> 27,000 </Td> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td>% of vegans only an estimation </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> France </Td> <Td> 7000150000000000000 ♠ 1.5% </Td> <Td> 1,988,000--3,300,000 </Td> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10% </Td> <Td> 8,000,000 </Td> <Td> 2018 </Td> <Td> 1.6% </Td> <Td> 1,300,000 </Td> <Td> 2018 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> India </Td> <Td> 7001290000000000000 ♠ 29%--7001400000000000000 ♠ 40% </Td> <Td> 360,576,000 </Td> <Td> 2009 2014 </Td> <Td> 27% </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Israel </Td> <Td> 7001130000000000000 ♠ 13% </Td> <Td> 1,046,000 </Td> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> 5% </Td> <Td> 421,000 </Td> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Italy </Td> <Td> 7000710000000000000 ♠ 7.1%--7001100000000000000 ♠ 10% </Td> <Td> 4,246,000 </Td> <Td> 2009 2015 </Td> <Td> 0.6%--2.8% </Td> <Td> 400,000--1,680,000 </Td> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> 7000470000000000000 ♠ 4.7% </Td> <Td> 18,370,300 </Td> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> 2.7% </Td> <Td> 5,875,000 </Td> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Latvia </Td> <Td> 7000300000000000000 ♠ 3%--7000500000000000000 ♠ 5% </Td> <Td> 60,000--100,000 </Td> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> estimation </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Netherlands </Td> <Td> 7000500000000000000 ♠ 5.0% </Td> <Td> 800,000 </Td> <Td> <P> 2016 2017 </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> New Zealand </Td> <Td> 7001103000000000000 ♠ 10.3% </Td> <Td> 463,500 </Td> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Norway </Td> <Td> 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10% </Td> <Td> 550,000 </Td> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> estimation </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Poland </Td> <Td> 7000320000000000000 ♠ 3.2% </Td> <Td> 1,228,800 </Td> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> 1.6% </Td> <Td> 608,000 </Td> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Portugal </Td> <Td> 7000120000000000000 ♠ 1.2% </Td> <Td> 120,000 </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> 0.6% </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> survey conducted by marketing research firm Nielsen Corporation </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Russia </Td> <Td> 7000300000000000000 ♠ 3%--7000400000000000000 ♠ 4% </Td> <Td> 4,380,000--5,840,000 </Td> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Slovenia </Td> <Td> 1.4%--1.6% </Td> <Td> 28,922--33,054 </Td> <Td> 2007 / 2008 </Td> <Td> 0.3%--0.5% </Td> <Td> 6,197--10,329 </Td> <Td> 2007 / 2008 </Td> <Td> Age group: 18 - 65; a representative sample; unbiased data (survey conducted by National Institute of Public Health); new data will be available soon (2018 / 2019 / 2020). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Spain </Td> <Td> 7000150000000000000 ♠ 1.5% </Td> <Td> 697,000 </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> 0.2% </Td> <Td> 93,000 </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> adult population </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sweden </Td> <Td> 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10% </Td> <Td> 969,000 </Td> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> 4% </Td> <Td> 388,000 </Td> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> Based on a 1000 person telephone survey . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Switzerland </Td> <Td> 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14% </Td> <Td> 1,176,156 </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> 3% </Td> <Td> 252,033 </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14% </Td> <Td> 9,100,000 </Td> <Td> 2015 2014 2016 </Td> <Td> 7% </Td> <Td> 3,500,000 </Td> <Td> 2018 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> 7000930000000000000 ♠ 9.3% </Td> <Td> 30,290,000 </Td> <Td> <P> 2016 </P> </Td> <Td> 6% </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Belgium </Td> <Td> 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10.0% </Td> <Td> 1,130,177 </Td> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Taiwan </Td> <Td> 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14.0% </Td> <Td> 3,297,011 </Td> <Td> <P> 2015 2016 2017 </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1.0% </Td> <Td> 500,000 </Td> <Td> 2011 <P> </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How much percentage of the world is vegetarian