The Vegan Society’s Empathy Index measures current levels of empathy towards non-human animals across a range of 27 forms of animal use
This index was created from the results of a survey to 2000 UK adults using nationally representative targeting. Respondents were shown 27 different statements on animal use and asked the following question, “How far are the following activities acceptable or unacceptable to you personally?”. A four-point answer scale was employed from “completely acceptable” to “completely unacceptable”.
Here are the percentages of people who found each activity acceptable or unacceptable
Where does each activity rank according to public opinion on a scale from most unacceptable to most acceptable?
This data represents public opinion based on a nationally representative survey sent to 2000 adults in the UK.
The top 5 most unacceptable forms of animal use according to UK adults are dog fighting, bull fighting, fox hunting, animal testing (cosmetics) and hunting animals using traps.
According to public opinion data, the top 5 most acceptable forms of animal use according to UK adults are riding a horse, using animals in TV/films, wearing clothes made from sheep's wool, going to a zoo and horses used in policing.
The most divisive form of animal use is riding an elephant with 50% considering this an acceptable form of animal use and 50% considering this unacceptable.
Take our quiz to see where your opinion sits against the national average
*Total sample: 2000
Male: 49%, Female: 51%
Age: 18–99
Survey platform: Attest
