Animal Testing Statistics

Many people are unaware that most products they use are tested on animals. You will be shocked to realize the number of animals used in these tests. Animal testing brings about a heated debate, with some arguing that it helps make scientific discoveries and keeps humans safe. On the other hand, some argue that animal testing leads to the suffering and death of many animals.

Below are some animal testing statistics that will change how you view the whole process.

Animal Testing Statistics Worldwide

It is challenging to get the accurate number of animals used in animal testing because laws protecting animals differ from country to country.

The only sure thing is that the number of animals used in testing is increasing daily.

1.Statistics show no sign of a decrease in the number of animals used in animal testing.

(Cruelty Free International)

Animal testing has not decreased even though there are many alternatives and the revelation that many tests are useless. On the contrary, animal experimentation has become more rampant in China.

Furthermore, the figures in Europe are almost equivalent to those from the 1980s and 1990s.

2. In just one year, 2,785 dogs and 1,306 monkeys were used for dosage toxicity tests in Europe.

(Cruelty Free International)

Drugs with long-lasting side effects that last 2 weeks to 9 months are given to the animals.

However, scientists opposed to animal testing have offered proof demonstrating that these tests are useless at identifying human medication toxicity levels.

3. In 2018, 123 skin irritation tests were performed on rabbits in the U.K. 

(Cruelty Free International)

There are numerous toxicological tests with certified non-animal alternatives.

However, these animal-based studies were still being carried out in the U.K. in 2018, with 638 pyrogenicity trials on live rabbits, 10,275 acute lethal toxicity tests, and 40 eye irritation tests.

This demonstrates how governments and businesses continue to choose dangerous and inhumane animal testing over the alternatives that are accessible. 

 4. Basic research uses 56% of animal experimentation

(Cruelty Free International)

In the U.K., around 1.8 million experiments involve using animals. According to data on animal studies, one million are used for basic research. University scholars’ curiosity drives the majority of these.

Since universities administer more than half of all tests, taxpayers provide most financing for these institutions. Yet, according to these statistics, just 13% of animal experimentation is truly required by regulatory bodies.

5. In the E.U., 85% of the monkeys used in tests were imported.

(Cruelty Free International)

Notably, imports from Africa and Southeast Asia accounted for the majority of primates used in research in 2018.

6. A single animal testing company kills 75,000 animals per year.

(About Animal Testing)

Huntingdon Life Sciences, the leading company in animal experimentation, kills the most animals yearly. According to statistics for animal testing, rodents make up about 87% of the murdered animals.

7. In the U.S., 80 percent of the primates utilized in research are imported from China.

(CNBC)

The existing use of primates in animal experiments will be greatly impacted by the new 15% tax that the Trump administration has imposed on all Chinese imports.

Although many U.S. researchers argue that primates are necessary for their study, they will be compelled to use major advances in non-animal testing.

8. Statistics on animal testing shows that 2.8 million animals are usually used for research in Germany.

(Doctors Against Animal Experiments)

These figures are constant year after year and place Germany just below the U.K. However, these numbers are fewer than in 2014, when Germany used 33 million animals.

Germany uses cats and dogs in addition to rodents, like most other nations. Additionally, the government has increased the number of monkey experiments from 2,462 to 3,472.

9.According to data on animal experiments, 12.1 million animal tests are carried out year throughout Europe.

(About Animal Testing)

Because there is a lack of transparency and the fact that not all animals are being taken into account, it is difficult to know accurate numbers. Thus, with around 3 million animal tests annually, Britain is ranked at the top.

France ranks in second place, where L’Oréal continues to test its cosmetics on animals. France notably shows the greatest opposition to the anticipated ban on cosmetics testing.

10. Just in Britain, 202,000 animals were used in medical experiments in 2018.

(Cruelty Free International)

Many nations still have policies and regulations mandating animal testing before human clinical trials for drugs can commence.

According to statistics on animal experimentation, the number of animals used in Britain is simply the tip of the iceberg. It overlooks millions of extra animals used for more basic medical research.

In 2018, about 81% of trials on monkeys and 60% on dogs tested human medications.

11. According to PETA, over 100 million lab animals are used in American research.

(PETA)

These numbers might sound excessive; however, animal experimentation in cosmetics data demonstrates that even they don’t accurately reflect the situation.

Animal abuse facts reveal that they only represent a small portion of the actual number of animals used, with the A.W.A. only covering about 95% of the total.

The lack of transparency and the limitations on counting make it impossible to accurately determine the extent of animal cruelty or the number of deaths.

12 In the U.K. alone, 3.52 million procedures were performed on animals in 2018.

(Pharma Times)

According to statistics on animal experimentation, this was the first dramatic drop since 2007. In 2018, there were 1.1 million mouse tests, 170,665 rat tests, 146,680 bird tests, 11,159 rabbit tests, 297,881 fish tests, and 6,445 guinea pig testing.

Large animals that were tested include; 3,207 tests on monkeys, 4,481 tests on dogs, 159 tests on cats, and 10,424 tests on horses.

`13. In the U.K., 96% of research subjects are birds, fish, and rodents.

(Speaking of Research U.S.)

The U.K. considers these species in its statistics compared to the U.S. This information reveals that most of the testing in the U.K. is done on mice, rats, fish, and birds.

Animal Testing Statistics in the U.S.

Despite America leading in finding alternatives to animal testing, they continue using them in their testing.

14. According to statistics on animal testing, up to 100 million animals die annually in animal testing.

(PETA) 

 Those animals are abused through many experiments before they are left to die of poisoned food, cosmetics, and science tests. The number includes the animals that die in dissection and biology practicals. 

Unfortunately, in the many cases where animals have died in tests, options were available. It has been proven that animal testing alternatives are time and money saving. They also minimize animal suffering.

15. According to a recent study, 52% of Americans believe using animal tests for medical reasons is wrong.

(PETA)

Research showed that 52% of Americans believe animal testing is wrong. On the other hand, the remaining percent think it is okay to test on animals despite the many available alternatives.

16. As per data on animal testing, the U.S. used 171,406 guinea pigs for research.

(Speaking of Research)

Since many testing facilities lack transparency, these figures cannot be wholly true. However, the numbers also show that, with 133,634 animals, rabbits were the second most often used testing animal in the U.S. in 2018.

There were a total of 182,580 species covered by the A.W.A. The lowest was sheep, with only 13,000 in total. Tragically, tests claimed the lives of 18,619 cats.

17. According to statistics, if an animal is used in cosmetic experimentation, it will be killed at the end of the research.

(Humane Society)

Articles show a disturbing picture of animal experimentation for cosmetics.

Furthermore, if any animals survive the experiments, they are killed by being decapitated, broken necks, or suffocated. They go through pain during and after the procedures.

The majority of animals are not protected. Since many of them are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act, they aren’t even counted among the many animals used in experiments.

18. According to statistics from 2019, there is a more than 90% failure rate for testing on animals.

(Green Garage Blog)

This failure rate applies to all industries, including cosmetics. The failure rate in the pharmaceutical sector is about 96%.

This indicates that the continuous torture and killing of thousands of animals each year yields little to no returns, with only a small portion of the products making it to market.

With these alarming figures, the U.S. and many other nations continue to believe that all forms of animal experimentation are necessary, despite the availability of numerous alternatives.

19. The U.S. is now one of the top countries that use animals in experiments.

(Cruelty Free International)

2020 data on animal testing indicates that China leads worldwide with over 20 million animals used for testing and research. 15 million animals are used for studies, the U.S. and Japan 

The UK, Germany, and France lead in animal testing in the European Union.

20. According to the E.P.A., there will be a 30% decrease in the number of studies using animal testing by 2025.

(N.Y. Times)

E.P.A. Administrator Andrew Wheeler believes that animal testing needs to be outlawed. By 2035, he wants to end the use of mammals in animal testing, with some exceptions based on specific cases.

The agency has also pledged to spend at least $4.25 million to find alternatives to animal testing of chemicals.

21. More cats were used for study in California than in any other state in 2020.

(Procon)

According to data on animal testing, the state mistreated 1,682 cats in 2020. Moreover, Ohio used 35,206 guinea pigs, which was the highest number. Lastly, Massachusetts used 6,771 dogs and 11,795 primates, respectively.

Many think that only caged rats and rabbits are used in animal experiments. Even so, cats, dogs, and primates are frequently used in drug, cosmetic, and chemical testing.

22. In 2020, U.K. universities carried out 54% of the experiments. 

(U.K. Gov)

Moreover, commercial laboratories conducted 27% of the studies. This was a 5% increase over the experiments carried out in 2019. Taxpayer funds are normally used for university research.

23. With 84,798 in total, Massachusetts had the most (protected) research animals of any U.S. state in 2019. 

(USDA)

Guinea pigs (22,876), rabbits (17,581), and non-human primates (16,573), make up the top three species used in trials in this state. Kansas and California are the states that test animals the most. In 2019, 797,546 protected species were used in the U.S.

24. Annually, the N.I.H. spends an estimated 14.5 billion in taxpayer money on animal testing. 

(ALDF

This figure excludes funds from private or other non-governmental organizations, such as the F.D.A. Recent U.S. budgets Increase in money for the N.I.H. has been recommended, especially for breeding projects to address the insufficiency of research monkeys.

25. In a U.K. survey, 68% of participants said they supported the banning of all animal testing.

(AnimalFreeResearchUK)

According to a survey taken in 2021, these figures prove that animal testing is unpopular in the U.K. According to the same survey, 70% of people in the U.K. are in favor of stopping medical testing by 2040. Government funding for alternatives to animal testing was equally supported at 60%.

26. In 2019, painful tests were carried out on 34% of study animals in the U.S.

(Speaking of Research U.S.)

Once more, only animals protected by the A.W.A. are included in these statistics. Fish, birds, mice, and rats are not included. Anesthesia was permitted or required in 28% of painful trials, whereas 6% were not, as it would have a negative impact on the outcomes.

General Animal Statistics

27. 90% of new medications never even get to patients.

(N.I.H.)

 Animal testing facts expose the unpleasant reality. Despite extensive animal testing, less than 10% of new treatments and medicines are considered good and safe. This is because animal trials do not give the desired results in people.

The cause for these unsuccessful trials is that 55% of them are not successful in curing the illness. Comparatively, 30% have resulted in human toxicity, which animal tests could not recognize.

28. It is confirmed that about 560,000 trials caused moderate to severe suffering in test animals.

(H.S.I.)

Over 500,000 tests on animals resulted in suffering, according to animal statistics.

The Home Office in the U.K. defines mild suffering as brief distress or moderate pain. Severe suffering is described as Long-lasting misery or pain.  

In many instances, these animals endure a lot of pain and distress through the course of the experiments, which can last for days or months until they pass away.

29. As per statistics, 115 million animals are used for testing every year in the cosmetics industry worldwide.

(Cruelty Free International)

Countries have different laws concerning animal testing used in research. For instance, rodents and rabbits are not included in the final numbers. Therefore, a recent study conducted by Cruelty Free International and the Dr. Hadwen Trust used estimates to determine the number of animals used for tests annually.

30. According to statistics for animal testing, more than $420 million has been spent on developing non-animal test methods.

(ChemicalWatch)

For the past 40 years, Procter & Gamble has been looking for animal testing alternatives. Unilever, their great competitor, has also advocated for banning animal testing.

P&G is the first of the top 10 companies in the beauty industry to actively advocate legislation that outlaws animal testing on cosmetics.

31. Registering a single pesticide takes nearly ten years because all required testing must be completed.

(H.S.I.)

Animal testing statistics reveal that the animal studies necessary for registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency result in the extended torture of animals.

Additionally, it involves testing almost 10,000 animals, leading to tragic deaths. Mice, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, and even thousands of dogs are among them.

32. The Australian Industrial Chemicals Act, passed by the Senate in 2017, is one significant improvement to cosmetic animal experimentation, as evidenced by the facts.

(S.M.H.)

 Even though it does not outlaw all animal testing for cosmetics, it does outlaw the use of any data derived from such testing after July 1, 2018.

This could not imply that cosmetic testing on animals will eventually come to an end. However, the act will greatly limit and reduce it.

33. According to facts and figures on animal testing, 41% of people in the U.K. believe that organizations that use animals for testing are secretive.

(Ipsos)

Only 32% of people think that the organizations they work for use animal testing for human health. What takes place in animal research facilities behind closed doors is usually only vaguely disclosed.

This makes people uneasy about what they cannot see. It explains why many favor alternatives to animal testing because they cannot comprehend what the companies do and what the tests reveal. 

Statistics on Animal Testing Costs

Animal testing uses a lot of money. Unfortunately, most of the tests do not give the desired outcomes.

34. One pesticide registration costs $3 million.

(H.S.I.)

Statistics on animal testing reveal that registering a pesticide requires almost ten years, thousands of animal fatalities, and financial investment. Millions of dollars are required to register a single pesticide with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A small percentage of pesticides pass the requirements and are registered. But unfortunately, many times, the money and lives of animals sacrificed during registration attempts are in vain.

35.More than $12 billion in taxpayer’s money is annually lost on animal tests studies.

(PETA)

According to statistics on animal testing, the University of Utah receives an average of $500,000 to induce heart attacks in dogs, according to statistics on animal testing. To force hamsters to fight, Northeastern University receives $300,000.

Animal Testing Pros and Cons: Facts and Stats

If though animal tests have many disadvantages, there are also advantages resulting from them.

Animal testing positively impacts people, animals, and the environment. In addition, these tests have led to most cures and treatments for many diseases.

Nevertheless, many tests do not require animals with the availability of many alternatives. Additionally, many tests have proven to be of no benefit.

36. 47% of respondents support using animals in medical research.

(Speaking of Research)

Statistics on animal testing for 2021 indicate that the number is the same as when people asked the same question a few years ago. However, compared to a few decades ago, more people are opposed to animal research now.

Many people are unaware of the details of what takes place in the labs behind closed doors, and they certainly want it that way.

37. Mice have a lifespan of roughly two to three years, according to interesting facts about animal testing.

(The Jackson Laboratory)

Because of this, they are essential for life cycle studies that would be difficult with human experimentation.

A human can live for anything between 70 and 80 years on average. Because of this, it is extremely challenging, if not impossible, for researchers to investigate and conduct experiments on how a drug or chemical may impact a person’s life cycle.

Because of their shorter lifespans, mice are an excellent choice for long-term research because they allow for the study of a whole life cycle.

38. One of the important facts about animal testing is that scientists have used animal testing to discover cures for many diseases.

(Penny Saviour)

Even if reading the statistics on how animals are handled and killed during animal research is heartbreaking, it was essential for some great discoveries.

Many experts agree that there would not be vaccines without the use of animals to test drugs for the treatment of cancer, heart disease, and even life-saving transplants.

About 70% of Nobel prize winners in physiology and medicine found their discoveries through animal tests.

39. The polio vaccine, which was initially tested on animals, significantly decreased the disease’s recurrence rate, according to statistics on animal testing.

(WHO)

This life-saving vaccination was discovered by scientists using animal testing. In 1988, there were roughly 350,000 cases of polio. This number was down to just 33 cases of polio in 2018, thanks to the vaccine. The cases are reducing with every passing year.

40. Scientists are not always required to use animals, as proved by the Covid-19 outbreak.

(Procon)

Statistics on animal testing reveal that hundreds of animals undergo excruciating suffering during tests. Using human volunteers enabled researchers to test and make effective vaccinations.

41. Statistics on animal testing show that the Animal Welfare Act does not protect 95% of the animals used for testing.

(Procon)

Most study animals are birds, fish, mice, or rats, and the A.W.A does not cover them.

According to statistics, the A.W.A. protects little over 820,000 animals used in research. This statistic indicates that nearly 25 million animals are unprotected, which could result in abuse and cruelty.

Additionally, there is a lack of transparency on how these animals are treated.

42. The main beneficiaries are animal breeders

(NAVS)

 You might wonder how the animal testing practice continues to flourish. According to research, the huge demand makes animal breeders millions of dollars each year.

Companies use illegal animal breeders to get species of protected animals or testing.

Every year, pharmaceutical companies and government health programs spend millions of dollars on animal testing. Additionally, scholars, universities, and researchers all gain from it.

Statistics on animal testing indicate that much of the interaction between businesses and animal breeders are secretive. Most of the time, it is prohibited and unlawful.  

43. The use of animal testing for products like fabric softeners is unnecessary.

(Humane Society International)

Tests for certain medications and insecticides necessitate thousands of trials. Many make use of the same animals up to three times.

Most tests use painful techniques such as skin application, injection, and force-feeding with nothing to soothe the pain. Similar brutal treatment of animals happens in factory farming.

Legally, the U.S. government does not demand animal testing for new products. But sadly, data on animal testing indicate that even with animal testing, there is a 95% likelihood that the drug won’t get through the stage of human trials.

F.A.Q.s

44. Why are animals killed after testing?

Not every animal used for testing is put to death. Others are adopted, while others are used once more for various research. But unfortunately, many of them are put to death.

45. Do Animals Ever Make It Through the Tests?

Only 3% of animal test subjects are estimated to survive the procedures. Those who survive are frequently returned to the mix for additional processes. However, even animals used in non-terminal experiments, particularly dogs and cats, are frequently restricted and denied access to regular activities and the opportunity to develop social bonds.

46. Why is animal testing cruel?

There are numerous grounds against animal testing. Small cages are used to imprison animals, which are then purposefully poisoned and exposed to diseases.

This is cruel, and we don’t even need to explain these animals’ pain.

Conclusion

Animal testing statistics show the suffering that these animals go through. Even though these tests have contributed to the discoveries of many vaccines and cures for many diseases, a great number of the tests are in vain.  

The alternatives to animal tests are effective, cheap, and effective. If more people are informed about animal testing statics, there can be changes in encouraging the use of alternatives, saving the animals from pain and death.

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