Number of animals used in research and testing worldwide 2020 by country

Despite animal testing being a controversial topic for many years, it is still widely used globally to assess the safety of products and test the efficacy of new treatments and products. In 2020, the United States was the world’s largest user of animals in research and testing, with around 20 million animals used research and testing, followed by China where it is estimated that around 16 million animals were used in research and testing in that year. Animal testing is used especially in the medical, cosmetic, and chemical industries.

Animal Testing in the EU

The European Union also reported some 9.4 million animals used research and testing as of 2020. Basic research, and translational and applied research are the two leading purposes of animal testing in the European Union. Mice represent the most commonly used animal in research and testing in the EU, representing almost half of all animals used in research and testing, followed by fish and rats.

Animal Testing in Great Britain

Animal testing in Great Britain was most common in basic scientific research on the nervous system and the immune system, and most procedures on animals for scientific experiments in that year in Great Britain were conducted by universities and medical schools. As in the EU, mice were the most commonly used animals in research and testing, followed by domestic fowl and rats.