A recent study conducted by Faunalytics found that there is a significant gap between the number of people who claim to be vegan and the number who actually follow a vegan diet. While vegan identity has been on the rise globally, the researchers described the increase as more of a crawl than a sprint. The data gathered from 58 countries over 10 years showed that Europe was the main driver of global veganism growth, with other regions either plateauing or lacking data.

The study also highlighted a lack of representation from regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, despite their significant populations. Faunalytics recommended filling this data gap, pairing self-identification with intake measures, and clarifying terms like vegan and vegetarian. Ultimately, the study concluded that the identity-behavior gap is an opportunity to show that veganism is something worth aspiring to.