Many myths abound regarding India and its peoples, one of which is that India is largely a country of vegetarians. But research by U.S.-based anthropologist Dr. Balmurli Natrajan and India-based economist Dr. Suraj Jacob, points to evidence that previously reported estimates include data reported because of “cultural and political pressures” where people under-report eating meat – particularly beef – and over-report eating vegetarian food. These researchers posit that only about 20% of Indians are actually vegetarian – much lower than common claims and stereotypes suggest, and that closer to 15% of Indians – or about 180 million people – eat beef.
In a survey of food habits among couples, 65% of couples were meat eaters while 20% were vegetarians. In 12% of the cases the husband was a meat eater, while the wife was a vegetarian. Only in 3% cases was the reverse true. The majority of Indians consume some form of meat – chicken and mutton, mainly – regularly or occasionally, and eating vegetarian food is not practiced by the majority.
Vegetarian cities in India
- Indore: 49%
- Meerut: 36%
- Delhi: 30%
- Nagpur: 22%
- Mumbai: 18%
- Hyderabad: 11%
- Chennai: 6%
- Kolkata: 4%
(Average incidence of vegetarianism. Source: National Family Health Survey)
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
