World Vegan Day falls on Sunday, 1 November 2026. Since 1994 the day has marked the founding of the Vegan Society, which coined the word “vegan” in England 82 years ago. Veganism is a whole way of life that respects animals in every area: food, clothing, cosmetics, leisure and everyday choices. Here is where World Vegan Day comes from, what veganism covers, how many people live this way and how you can get started.
In short
- What vegan means: avoiding the exploitation of animals as far as possible, in food, clothing, cosmetics, leisure and everywhere else
- When: every year on 1 November, a Sunday in 2026, with the whole of November as World Vegan Month
- Why: the Vegan Society was founded in November 1944, and World Vegan Day was created in 1994 for its 50th anniversary
- Who: in Germany, between 1 and 2.3 percent of people describe themselves as vegan, depending on the survey
- The market: €1.71 billion in plant-based retail sales in Germany, while meat substitute production dipped slightly in 2025 for the first time
- Get started: our free newsletter brings you recipes, tests and tips for every area of life
Contents9 chapters
When is World Vegan Day 2026?.
World Vegan Day is held every year on 1 November, which is a Sunday in 2026. Over time the day grew into a week and then a whole month: November is World Vegan Month. The Vegan Society has not published an official 2026 theme so far. In 2024 its campaign for the society’s 80th anniversary was called “The Future is Vegan”.
Where World Vegan Day comes from.
In November 1944, the teacher Donald Watson met in England with five other vegetarians who also avoided dairy, among them Elsie Shrigley. Together they founded a new society. The exact date is not recorded, and the Vegan Society itself thinks 5 November most likely. The new way of living needed a word. Suggestions such as “dairyban”, “vitan” and “benevore” were rejected. Watson settled on “vegan”: the first three and last two letters of “vegetarian”, the beginning and end of vegetarianism.
In 1949 member Leslie Cross pointed out that the society had no definition, and the first version was written. Today’s wording has been in use since the late 1980s. World Vegan Day itself was created in 1994 by Louise Wallis, a former President of the Vegan Society, to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding.
What vegan actually means.
The Vegan Society defines veganism as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose”. It also promotes animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it means avoiding all products derived wholly or partly from animals. Someone who eats only plants but wears leather is, strictly speaking, plant-based. The phrase “as far as is possible and practicable” matters: nobody has to be perfect, and people who need medicines take them even though the law requires animal testing.
Vegan in every area of life.
- Food: no meat, fish, dairy, eggs or honey, and no hidden ingredients such as gelatine or carmine.
- Clothing: no leather, fur, wool, silk or down. Even big brands are moving, as Woolrich’s exit from fur shows.
- Cosmetics and household: products without animal ingredients and without animal testing.
- Leisure and travel: no zoos, dolphinariums or circuses with animals, no elephant rides and no horse-drawn carriages.
- Living with animals: adopt from a shelter instead of buying from a breeder.
- Activism: many vegans also campaign for animals, support sanctuaries or join demonstrations.
How many people in Germany are vegan.
- Allensbach: According to the 2025 Allensbach market and media survey, 2.3 percent of people aged 14 and over describe themselves as vegan, around 1.7 million people.
- Nutrition Report: In the German agriculture ministry’s 2025 Nutrition Report, based on a forsa survey of just over 1,000 people, 2 percent eat vegan, 7 percent vegetarian and 37 percent flexitarian.
- Max Rubner Institute: The national nutrition monitoring found just over 1 percent.
The differences come from how people classify themselves. A 2026 review of 837 studies from 58 countries by Bryant Research and Faunalytics found that more people in Europe call themselves vegan than their actual diets suggest. There is no reliable worldwide figure, but the review sees a slow rise, mostly in Europe.
What the market is doing.
According to the Good Food Institute Europe, based on Circana retail data, plant-based products generated €1.71 billion in German retail in 2025, up 3.1 percent. Plant-based meat stayed flat at €751 million, while plant-based drinks grew 8.1 percent to €632 million and now account for 9.2 percent of milk volume sold. Germany’s statistics office reported 124,900 tonnes of meat substitutes produced in 2025, down 1.2 percent, the first decline after years of growth but more than double the 2019 volume. Meat production was still worth a good 70 times as much. Meanwhile, people in Germany ate 54.9 kilograms of meat per person in 2025, 1.4 kilograms more than the year before.
The animal ethics view.
World Vegan Day is not a diet day. It remembers a small group of people who decided in 1944, in the middle of the war and food rationing, that animals do not exist for us. That idea has not changed. The scale has. According to FAO data, around 88 billion land animals are slaughtered worldwide every year, most of them chickens. FAO counts fish only in tonnes, but estimates suggest around 130 billion farmed fish and 1.1 to 2.2 trillion wild fish are killed each year. Every one of them is an individual with interests of its own.
What you can do on World Vegan Day.
- Live vegan for a day. Or a week, or all of November. A good vegan cookbook for beginners helps you get started.
- Cook for others. A good meal often convinces more than any debate.
- Check your wardrobe and bathroom. Next time you buy shoes, a jacket or shampoo, choose animal-free.
- Rethink leisure. Visit an animal sanctuary instead of a zoo or dolphin show.
- Plan ahead. Sign up for Veganuary 2027 at veganuary.com.
Frequently asked questions.
When is World Vegan Day?
Every year on 1 November. In 2026 it is a Sunday. The whole of November is World Vegan Month.
Is veganism just a diet?
No. According to the Vegan Society, veganism is a way of living that avoids the exploitation of animals as far as possible, in food, clothing, cosmetics, leisure and for any other purpose.
Who started World Vegan Day?
Louise Wallis, a former President of the Vegan Society, created it in 1994 to mark the society’s 50th anniversary.
Where does the word vegan come from?
Donald Watson, co-founder of the Vegan Society, formed it in 1944 from the first three and last two letters of “vegetarian”.
Sources ●
The Vegan Society: World Vegan Month, history, definition. IfD Allensbach. German Nutrition Report 2025. Faunalytics/Bryant Research. GFI Europe. Destatis. BLE. Veganuary 2026. Fishcount, Mood & Brooke 2024. Researched with the help of Anara, all figures checked against the original sources. Photos: Los Muertos Crew, Macourt Media, Marek Piwnicki / Pexels. Graphics: This Is Vegan. This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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