Share of vegetarians in France 2022, by age group

During a survey carried out between July 2021 and June 2022, approximately five percent of French people aged between 18 and 19 said they were following a vegetarian diet. The share of vegetarians among respondents aged between 50 and 59 was at two percent.

Meat-free diets in France

The share of French people who follow a flexitarian (semi-vegetarian) diet reached almost 30 percent among people aged between 35 and 64. The main reasons given by survey respondents for being a flexitarian were nutritional-, health-, or environmental concerns. While the share of flexitarian diets is particularly high in the middle age groups, vegan diets are most popular among young people in France. Nearly 11 percent of people aged 18 or 19 follow a vegan diet. This is by far the highest among all age groups. The share of vegans decreases with age.

Meat consumption in France

While many French people reduce their meat intake or follow a meat-free diet, meat remains an essential part of food consumption in France. In 2020, the per capita consumption of meat in France amounted to a total of approximately 84.4 kilograms. Pork and poultry made up the largest share with 31.5 kilograms and 27.7 kilograms, respectively. That year, French households spent almost 40 billion euros on meat. Meat is mostly distributed via hypermarkets in France. Nearly half of all meat purchases occur through at these shopping locations. The second most frequent sales channel of meat is supermarkets.