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In 2026, around **** percent of both female and male Canadian survey respondents stated they were vegetarian. The data combines the data from four surveys between April 2025 and March 2026. 

The meat industry in Canada

The meat industry remains an important part of the Canadian economy. Per capita meat consumption in Canada amounts to approximately *** pounds per year. An average Canadian consumes about ** pounds of chicken per year, which is more than twice as much as the annual amount of beef or pork consumed per person. The last 24 years have experienced a clear trend toward an increasing consumption of chicken, while the consumption of beef and pork has declined. Canadians now consume about ** pounds more chicken per person than they did in 1998 and on average close to ** pounds less beef and pork. There are 680 meat product manufacturing establishments in Canada, most of which are in Ontario and Quebec. The number of meat manufacturing establishments in those two regions is ***Ìý²¹²Ô»å ***, respectively. The monthly gross domestic product (GDP) for the meat product manufacturing sector was valued at approximately *** billion Canadian dollars in 2024. 

Dietary habits among Canadians

Many Canadians follow a variety of non-meat-eating diets. In general, the share of consumers who follow a vegetarian, pescetarian, and vegan diet in Canada tends to fall with age. Approximately **** percent of 18 to 19-year-olds follow a vegetarian diet, whereas the share of 60 to 64-year-olds vegetarians is about *** percent. Furthermore, vegan diets are followed by approximately *** percent of 18 to 19-year-olds. The share of vegans that are older than 60 is close to zero. Nonetheless, other statistics do indicate a certain consciousness among the elderly population regarding their meat consumption. In fact, the share of Canadian consumers who are trying to eat less meat is highest among those between the ages of ** and **. Among those, an average of ** percent attempt to eat less meat. By comparison, the share among those aged between 20 and 29 was about **Ìý±è±ð°ù³¦±ð²Ô³Ù.