Faunalytics Index – January 2026

Author: Meghann Cant | Published: January 7, 2026

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

This month’s Faunalytics Index provides facts and stats about the gender gap in meat consumption across cultures, veterinary care deserts, the economics behind the fur farming industry, and more.

Each month, our Faunalytics Index provides a round-up of data, statistics, and facts gleaned from the most recent research we’ve covered in our library. Our aim is to give you a quick overview of some of the most eye-catching and informative bits of data that could help you be more effective in your advocacy for animals.

If you want to know more about any given statistic, follow the links below, read the source articles, and dive deeper into the issues.

-€446 million

The total contribution of the European Union’s fur farming industry to society, weighing its revenues against its environmental and public health costs.

35%

The percentage of chickens in India still raised in small backyard flocks.

1 in 5

The proportion of adult respondents who felt their child had taken less responsibility than expected when the family got a new puppy, according to a U.K. survey.

45%

The percentage of comments on six YouTube videos about vegan fashion that expressed negative opinions. Most of these comments were directed at veganism more broadly rather than vegan leather itself.

3

The number of countries in a 23-country study where the gender gap in meat consumption was found to be reversed. In China, Indonesia, and India, women eat meat more often than men.

70%

The estimated percent increase in demand for wild-caught fishes for feed by 2040 if aquaculture production in Europe continues to grow as expected.

46.5%

The average price premium paid between 2008 and 2018 for eggs with a “pasture-raised” label.

0 to 0.8

The number of veterinary employees per 1,000 households that qualifies a given geographic area in the U.S. as a “veterinary care desert.”

43%

The percentage of birds who were brought to a major wildlife rehabilitation center in southeastern Brazil between 2012 and 2023 because of wildlife trafficking. This was the top reason for admission for birds over the 12-year period.

57% to 89%

The percentage by which a common animal welfare auditing tool underestimated the occurrence of issues such as lameness, abscesses, and tail bites across 60 U.S. pig farms.

You can explore an archive of our past Faunalytics Indexes here.

Meet the Author: Meghann Cant

When she was young, Meghann dreamed of helping animals by becoming a veterinarian, but as an undergraduate, she discovered animal welfare science and never looked back. After pursuing a Master’s degree in the field, she went on to work for the British Columbia SPCA. It was there that she discovered her passion for knowledge translation, communicating animal welfare science to kids as part of the organization’s humane education department. From there, Meghann joined the BC SPCA’s science and policy team, where she specialized in companion animal welfare. Appreciating that impacting animal lives often means impacting human lives too, she also holds a Bachelor’s degree in social work. Outside of work, Meghann enjoys reading, gardening, watching birds in her backyard, fostering tiny, ancient dogs, and designing animal pun t-shirts for herself.

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