India: The Most Vegetarian Country in the World

India is widely regarded as the most vegetarian country in the world. No other nation is believed to have as many people following a vegetarian diet, and vegetarian food is deeply woven into India’s religious traditions, family customs and regional cuisines.

From dal, roti and sabzi to idli, sambar, khichdi and paneer dishes, vegetarian food in India is not treated as a limited substitute for meat. It is a complete and remarkably diverse culinary tradition.

However, this reputation requires some explanation. India has the world’s largest vegetarian population, but that does not mean every Indian, or even necessarily most Indians, follows a strictly vegetarian diet.

How Many People in India Are Vegetarian?

The exact percentage of vegetarians in India depends on how vegetarianism is defined and how a survey asks the question.

A large Pew Research Center survey published in 2021 found that 39% of Indian adults described themselves as vegetarian. Other surveys and academic studies have produced lower estimates, often placing the figure between approximately 20% and 30%.

Even the lower estimates represent an enormous number of people because of India’s population. A vegetarian share of just 20% would still equal hundreds of millions of individuals. This gives India a vegetarian population larger than the entire population of most countries.

For this reason, India can reasonably be described as the country with the largest vegetarian population in the world. Claims about the exact percentage, however, should be treated carefully because survey methods and definitions vary.

Are Most Indians Vegetarian?

Contrary to a common international belief, most Indians are not necessarily strict vegetarians.

India’s National Family Health Survey conducted in 2019–21 found that a majority of the men and women surveyed had consumed fish, chicken or meat either daily, weekly or occasionally. The survey also recorded the consumption of eggs separately.

This reveals an important difference between identifying as vegetarian and eating meat infrequently. Many Indians who describe themselves as non-vegetarian may eat meat only once a week, a few times a month or on special occasions.

Others avoid meat on particular weekdays, during festivals or throughout religious periods. Therefore, India’s dietary culture cannot be divided simply into permanent vegetarians and regular meat eaters.

Why Is Vegetarianism So Common in India?

India’s vegetarian traditions developed over many centuries. They were influenced by religion, philosophy, geography, agriculture and community customs.

One of the most important ideas behind Indian vegetarianism is ahimsa, the principle of avoiding harm to living beings. Ahimsa has a significant place in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, although its interpretation differs across these traditions.

Jainism places particularly strong emphasis on non-violence. Most Jains follow vegetarian diets, and many also avoid root vegetables such as onions, garlic and potatoes. This is because harvesting a root vegetable kills the entire plant and may disturb small organisms living in the soil.

Many Hindus follow vegetarian diets because of family traditions, religious beliefs or devotion to a particular deity. Some avoid all meat, fish and eggs, while others observe vegetarianism only on certain days or during festivals.

Vegetarian practices are also found among sections of India’s Sikh and Buddhist populations. However, no major Indian religious community follows a single universal diet. Food practices can differ considerably within the same religion.

Vegetarianism Varies Across India

India’s eating habits change dramatically from one region to another.

Vegetarianism is particularly widespread in states such as Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and parts of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Traditional meals in these regions often depend heavily on wheat, millet, pulses, dairy products and seasonal vegetables.

In coastal states and regions with abundant rivers, fish has historically played a much larger role. Fish and meat are common in many traditional cuisines of West Bengal, Kerala, Goa, Assam and Northeast India.

Diet can also vary between communities living in the same state. Religion, caste, family background, occupation, income and access to ingredients can all influence what a person eats.

India is therefore not one uniform vegetarian society. It is a country containing both vast vegetarian communities and equally established meat-eating traditions.

What Does Vegetarian Mean in India?

In India, vegetarian food generally excludes meat, poultry, fish and eggs but includes milk and dairy products. This is known as a lacto-vegetarian diet.

Milk, curd, butter, ghee and paneer are central to many Indian vegetarian meals. For this reason, traditional Indian vegetarianism is different from veganism, which avoids all foods derived from animals, including dairy products.

Eggs occupy a special position. Many Indian families consider eggs non-vegetarian, while some people eat eggs but avoid fish and meat. Such people are sometimes informally described as “eggetarians.”

Restaurants and packaged foods in India usually make this distinction clear. “Pure vegetarian” restaurants serve no meat, fish or eggs, while a green symbol on packaged food indicates that the product is vegetarian.

Religious Days and Temporary Vegetarianism

India also has a large population of people who practise vegetarianism only on particular days or occasions.

Some Hindus avoid meat on days associated with certain deities, such as Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Others stop eating meat during Navratri, Shravan, Janmashtami or other religious observances.

Jains may follow stricter dietary rules during Paryushan. Some families temporarily avoid onions, garlic or other foods regarded as unsuitable for religious worship.

As a result, vegetarianism in India is not always a permanent identity. It can also be a recurring religious or cultural practice followed by people who eat meat at other times.

India’s Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine

One reason vegetarianism has flourished in India is the sheer variety of meat-free food available.

Indian vegetarian meals use pulses, beans, grains, vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices in countless combinations. Rajma from northern India, dhokla from Gujarat, dal baati from Rajasthan, litti chokha from Bihar and dosa with sambar from southern India are only a few examples.

There are also hundreds of varieties of dal, vegetable curry, rice preparation, bread, chutney, pickle, snack and sweet. Each region has developed vegetarian dishes around its climate, crops and locally available ingredients.

For many Indian families, vegetarian food is not a special dietary category. It is simply their everyday cuisine.

Is India Truly the Most Vegetarian Country?

Reliable international comparisons are difficult because countries measure vegetarianism differently. Some surveys ask people to identify their diet, while others ask how frequently they consume particular foods.

Despite these limitations, India consistently appears among the countries with the highest proportions of vegetarians. Because of its population size, it almost certainly has the largest number of vegetarians anywhere in the world.

India’s reputation is therefore broadly justified. It does not mean that most Indians never eat meat or that every part of the country follows the same diet. It means that India has the world’s largest vegetarian community, one of its oldest traditions of meat-free living and perhaps its most extensive vegetarian cuisine.

India is the world’s most vegetarian country not because everyone eats alike, but because vegetarianism exists there on a scale, depth and diversity found nowhere else.