Share of Canadians who are vegetarian, pescetarian, or vegan 2022, by age group

There were approximately 2.3 million Canadians who followed a vegetarian diet in 2018. A further 0.85 million consumers classed themselves as vegan in Canada. The highest rates of vegetarianism and veganism were found in British Columbia in that year, whilst the lowest rates were found in the Atlantic and Prairies regions.

What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan?

Someone who is vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish or shellfish. Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism: vegans do not eat any animal or animal-derived products. This includes any dairy products, eggs, gelatin etc. Those who follow more stringent vegan diets may also cut out foods such as honey. People can have various motives for following such diets, including religious, health, environmental and moral reasons.

Plant-based substitutes in Canada

Those following a vegetarian or vegan diet may choose to include more plant-based meat and/or dairy substitutes in their diet. Retail sales of meat substitutes were forecast to reach around 148.9 million U.S. dollars by 2022 in Canada, a projected increase of over 40 million dollars from 2019. According to a recent survey, some 80 percent of Canadian respondents who had tried plant-based meat alternatives either loved or liked the taste.