10 States With Highest Percentage Of Vegetarians In India (2024)

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10 States With Highest Percentage Of Vegetarians In India? ›

Palitana was declared a totally vegetarian city by the Gujarat Government in 2014. Now, killing animals for meat is punishable by law in the town.

Palitana was declared a totally vegetarian city by the Gujarat Government in 2014. Now, killing animals for meat is punishable by law in the town.

Among states, union territories Lakshadweep (98.7%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (95.4%) followed by Goa (93.3%) lead the list of the most meat-eating states and UTs in women. Kerala is the highest meat consumer state (90.5%) and Haryana is the lowest (6.3%) of the women population.

Brahmins generally form major population of vegetarians across south India and they are very less in number compared to north. Kerala, due to its large coastal area, naturally they eat fish and also, high percentage of Syrian Christians and Malabar Muslims tend to follow non vegetarians diet.

Punjab (66.75%)

The third state on the list is Punjab which has over 66 per cent vegetarians.

Indians' love for meat

Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Jharkhand are states where the proportion of non-vegetarians is more than 97 per cent. In contrast, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan have the least non-vegetarian population (below 40 per cent), government data show.

Much of this demand is met from imports from other states in India and from Myanmar. North East India has much higher pork consumption that the rest of the country. Of these states, Nagaland has the highest per capita consumption.

India has the highest number of vegetarians in the world, with around 38% of the population following a vegetarian diet. India also has the lowest meat consumption rate in the world.

Additionally, the states in the south of India, such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, are known for their love of non-vegetarian food, including chicken, and may also have high consumption of the meat.

Do South Indian Brahmins eat non-veg? ›

No. Traditionally Brahmins in KA, TN, AP & KL do not consume non-vegetarian food. But a FEW Brahmins may defy their traditional upbringing & consume non-veg, out of personal choice or conviction, that is a different story. But some Konkani speaking Saraswat Brahmins are known to consume non-vegetarian food.

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Sikhs who do not follow a vegetarian diet may eat meat from any animal, but are prohibited from eating any meat which has been ritually slaughtered, including halal and kosher meat products. However, some Sikhs may choose to not eat beef or pork.

Among region-specific travel, South India emerged as the safest destination, as answered by 37 per cent of respondents, while over 40 per cent believe North India to be the least safe.

Gujarat, located in Western India, is renowned for its predominantly vegetarian population. The state has a strong cultural and religious influence, particularly from Jainism, which advocates non-violence and vegetarianism.

Vegetarianism in India

If we talk about the vegetarian states, then Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan are the places where most of the people eat vegetarian food. These states have the lowest percentage of non-vegetarian meat-eaters.

The cuisine of Rajasthan has two main factors that influenced it– the desert, and war. Food that could grow in arid conditions, and dishes that could be preserved for longer periods, took precedence. Traditional Rajasthani food has its roots in the cuisine of the Marwar region which was predominantly vegetarian.

Sociologists and historians assert that the belief that Gujarat is a vegetarian state is a myth. As per the Sample Registration Survey of 2014, Gujarat has a 40 per cent meat eating population, which is even higher than in Punjab and Rajasthan.