97% Of People Going Vegan For January Influenced By Someone Else

The majority (97%) of those turning vegan for January, say they were inspired by someone else to take on the month-long challenge. According to new research from The Vegan Society, 31% say it was down to a friend, with the same number (31%) saying it was because of their other half. Meanwhile, 22% cite vegan campaigners and animal activists as their reason for taking it on. Just 3% made the decision completely by themselves. 

Interestingly, only 12% of those surveyed[1], are trying veganism because of a work colleague and even less (9%) say it’s because of a work-place initiative. However, the covid-19 pandemic has seen a huge jump in the number of people working from home over the last ten months. 

While women were more likely to give it a go because of a mate (34%), men looked to their other half (36%) for inspiration.

It’s a slightly different story for those who follow a vegan lifestyle throughout the year, and not just for the month of January. For 26% of those, activists had the most influence over their decision to become vegan, followed by partners (23%), friends (21%) and parents (19%). 

Across the board, celebrities (11%) and siblings (9%) are some of the least influential.

The findings come as we enter the final week of Veganuary 2021, in which a record-breaking 560,000 people around the world signed up. An impressive jump from the 3,300 people who participated during its launch in 2014. The Vegan Society became an official Veganuary partner in 2020 and partnered with them again this year.

Francine Jordan, Media and PR Officer at The Vegan Society, said: “It’s not surprising to see that so many people are encouraged by those closest to them to try veganism, whether it’s for Veganuary or beyond.  We know that changing your diet or lifestyle is much easier when you have someone to share the experience with, whether it’s doing the weekly shop together, swapping recipes or just making meals for each other. 

It’s a really exciting time to be vegan, and it’s great to think people are finding it so easy and enjoyable, they’re inspiring others to get involved too.”

For those who are tempted to give veganism a go but don’t know where to start, The Vegan Society has the free VeGuide app. With nutrition information and recipes, it helps users deal with issues such as giving up cheese or struggling to find vegan products by covering the basics of transitioning to a vegan lifestyle over 30 days.