Veganuary 2026 secures record-breaking 30m participants

The annual Veganuary campaign has attracted a record-breaking 30m participants for the 2026 offering.

The non-profit organisation encouraging people to try vegan in January and beyond, is celebrating a record-breaking campaign with around 30m people worldwide taking part in Veganuary 2026. Nationally representative surveys were commissioned by Veganuary in 12 of its core campaign countries to establish the percentage of people who report having taken part in Veganuary during January 2026. Based on these results and the current population estimates for each country, Veganuary has calculated that roughly 30 million people worldwide chose to try vegan this January as part of Veganuary.

Returning for its 12 year, the campaign made its presence known once again; a London Underground billboard caught commuters’ attention with the message ‘Same kindness, now to all kinds’, while celebrities championed the campaign’s positive, welcoming approach to diet change. TV presenters, Kate Lawler and Kirsty Gallacher, took on the 31-day challenge while figures including Olivia Colman, Ainsley Harriott and Matthew Modine shared recipes and words of encouragement with participants. Veganuary’s global footprint also continued to expand in 2026. Official campaigns launched in Iceland and Ireland, and the pledge was available in Hindi for the first time, making the 31-day challenge accessible to millions worldwide.

Veganuary CEO, Wendy Matthews, commented: “There’s been plenty of talk in the media about interest in vegan fading. But the story worth telling is the one unfolding in kitchens, not in the comment section. Millions of people chose kindness this January – for themselves, for animals and for the planet. Veganuary is now firmly mainstream, and its continued growth is proof of what happens when people around the world put compassion into practice. We think that’s something truly worth celebrating and a powerful sign that conscious food choices are more than a passing trend.”