Millions of animals are used and killed in scientific procedures around the world every year. We estimate that at least 192.1 million animals were used for all scientific purposes worldwide in 2015. This is the world’s most reliable global figure to date.
This global figure includes nearly 80 million experiments on animals, which includes tests related to consumer products as well as other types of testing and research, as well as millions of other animals who are killed for their tissues, used to breed genetically modified animal strains and bred but not used.
See the top 10 animal testing countries:
1
China: 20.5 million
2
Japan: 15.0 million
3
United States: 15.6 million
4
Canada: 3.6 million
5
Australia: 3.2 million
6
South Korea: 3.1 million
7
United Kingdom: 2.6 million
8
Brazil: 2.2 million
9
Germany: 2.0 million
10
France: 1.9 million
In 2015, an estimated 207,724 tests using dogs and 158,780 tests using monkeys were conducted. The top 10 users of dogs were: China, the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany and India.
The top 10 users of monkeys were: the United States, China, Japan, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India and South Korea.
207,724
thousand tests
using dogs
158,780
thousand tests using monkeys
Europe
The latest report from the European Commission shows that 9.1 million experiments were conducted on animals across the EU and Norway in 2023. The total figure includes 997,013 (11%) uses of animals involved in creating or maintaining genetically altered (GA) animals but not used in further experiments. The remaining 8.1 million (8,076,595; 89%) uses were experimental procedures performed on animals.
United Kingdom
According to the latest Government figures, a total of 2.63 million (2,637,578) procedures on animals were completed in Great Britain (GB) in 2024.
Out of the total number of procedures conducted in GB in 2024, only 12% were required by law – the rest were conducted voluntarily.
A total of 2,646 experiments were conducted on dogs in 2024, including 2,488 experiments on beagles and 158 experiments on other breeds.
A total of 1,936 experiments were conducted on monkeys in 2024, including 90 experiments on marmosets and tamarins, 1,770 experiments on cynomolgus macaques and 76 experiments on rhesus macaques.
News & Updates
NIH advances non-animal research
NIH advances non-animal research
Cruelty Free Cleaning bill introduced in New York
Cruelty Free Cleaning bill introduced in New York
Upper Tribunal says secrecy around UK animal experiments is unlawful
Upper Tribunal says secrecy around UK animal experiments is unlawful
Creating change for animals at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Summer School
Creating change for animals at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Summer School
Europe takes action to phase out animal testing of Botox products
Europe takes action to phase out animal testing of Botox products
Building on FDA Modernization to Replace Animal Tests
