The world can be a tricky place if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. From steaks to seafood, animal-based diets are the norm for the vast majority of societies around the world. Sure, loads of countries are getting better at catering to veggies ‘n’ vegans, but in plenty of other places the options are still pretty limited.
Yet, thanks to the diets’ environmental and health benefits (not to mention, y’know, the significantly reduced cruelty to animals), both veganism and vegetarianism are on the rise. So where are the best destinations to visit if you’re on a plant-based diet? Well, a study from travel blog Asher & Lyric reckons it has found out.
Through a load of data analysis, A&L has churned out a ‘Vegan Travel Index’ that ranks 37 of the best and worst countries for veggies and vegans. The study looked at the percentage of the population that is vegetarian, before combining that data with the number of veggie/vegan restaurants per million annual tourists. That info was then compared with the country’s supply of fruit, veg, legumes, meat and fish per capita.
And top of the table is… India! Which, we suppose, isn’t too surprising. Not only does India boast loads of vegetarians, but the country has a huge supply of fruit and veg and comparatively very little meat and seafood.
India is followed by Mexico, which is boosted by its fruit and legume supply, and Brazil, which has both a high number of vegetarians and an impressive line-up of vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
The UK places at a respectable-enough 13th, while the United States comes in at 22nd and Australia at 29th. Bottom of the table is Latvia, which is sunk by the fact that apparently the Baltic state has very few vegetarians or vegan/veggie restaurants.
Of course, there are limitations to A&L’s study. For one, you probably can’t expect the entirety of these countries to be suitable for vegetarians and vegans – after all, everywhere has their hotspots, whether due to religion or local culture. Plus, data is only so effective compared to the experiences of travellers on the ground.
In any case, here are the top ten countries in A&L’s ‘Vegan Travel Index’.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Asher & Lyric’s ‘Vegan Travel Index’, you can read about the whole thing here.
For the world’s best vegetarian and vegan food, according to us:
NYC's 39 best vegetarian and vegan restaurants.