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Chapter 6
Experimental (Laboratory) Animal Statistics
Summary
- Estimates of the total number of animals that people use for experimenting on range between 40 million and 100 million animals (Table 1).
- Japan and United States use more experimental animals than all other countries combined (Table 1).
- Six countries using the largest numbers of experimental animals are Japan, United States, Britain, Canada, France and Germany (Table 1).
- These six countries combined use around half the experimental animals worldwide (Table 1).
- Over 2.6 million animals are used annually as experimental animals in Britain (Table 2).
- Of experimental animals in Britain 80 per cent are rodents, ten per cent are fish, five per cent are birds, three per cent are mammals and less than one per cent are reptiles and amphibians (Table 2).
- Experimenters in Britain annually carry out over 2.7 million experiments ('procedures') on animals (taking 2000 as a typical year) (Table3).
Reliability of Estimates
Estimates for the number of experimental or laboratory animals are rough because some countries keep incomplete or no records. The United States for example does not count certain animals, many of them rats and mice. Britain may keep more reliable and detailed data than any other country on numbers, species and the purpose experimental animals are put to and some of these details are summarised below. Britain is said to have the most stringent laws concerning laboratory animals. However, this strength is only relative to other countries.
Number of Experimental (Laboratory) Animals
Various estimates of the total number of animals used for experimental purposes range between 40 million and 100 million animals.
Japan and United States are by far the biggest users of experimental animals.
Six countries using the largest numbers of experimental animals are Japan, United States, Britain, Canada, France and Germany.
These six countries combined use around about half the experimental animals worldwide.
Table 1. Number of Experimental (Laboratory) Animals.
The Six Highest-using Countries & Worldwide, for 2000. |
| Japan |
12,000,000+ |
| United States |
12,000,000+ |
| Britain |
2 - 3,000,000 |
| Canada |
2 - 3,000,000 |
| France |
2 - 3,000,000 |
| Germany |
2 - 3,000,000 |
| Worldwide |
40,000,000 to 100,000,000 |
Number and Kind of Experimental Animals in Britain
An example of a counrty's experimental animal population comes from Britain. Possibly Britain records the most detailed inventory of the numbers, species and purpose of experimental animals. This Table shows that:
Over 2.6 million animals are used annually as experimental animals.
Of these animals 80 per cent are rodents, ten per cent are fish, five per cent are birds, three per cent are mammals and less than one per cent are reptiles and amphibians.
| Table 2. Number and Kind of Experimental Animals in Britain in 2000 |
| Kind of Animal |
Number of Animals |
Percentage of Total |
| Mice |
1,605,722 |
60 |
| Rats |
524,168 |
20 |
Other rodents
(eg hamsters & guinea-pigs) |
69,799 |
3 |
| Rabbits |
27,389 |
1 |
| Cats |
613 |
< 0.1 |
| Dogs |
4,745 |
< 1 |
| Ferrets |
1,358 |
< 0.1 |
| Other carnivores |
663 |
< 0.1 |
| Horses & donkeys |
452 |
< 0.1 |
| Pigs |
8,326 |
< 1 |
| Goats |
325 |
< 0.1 |
| Sheep |
16,078 |
< 1 |
| Cattle |
6,801 |
< 1 |
| Deer |
160 |
< 0.1 |
Primates
(eg macaques & marmosets) |
2,951 |
< 1 |
| Other mammals |
457 |
< 0.1 |
| Birds |
120,505 |
4 |
| Reptiles |
63 |
< 0.1 |
| Amphibians |
9,661 |
< 1 |
| Fish |
242,757 |
9 |
| Total |
2,642,993 |
100 |
Source: Statistics of Scientific Procedures 1987-00. Home Office.
Number of Procedures on Experimental Animals in Britain
Experimenters in Britain annually carry out over 2.7 million experiments (procedures) on animals (taking 2000 as a typical year).
The Table shows the annual number of procedures by main purpose, a procedure being a single experiment on one animal. The total number of experiments (ie procedures) in the table is more than the total number of experimental animals (in Table 2) because the same animal can be used more than once. Animals are no longer used in Britain for testing cosmetics ingredients, finished products, or alcohol and tobacco products, and the use of chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans was banned (but periodically reviewed). Over five million experimental animals were used per year in Britain in the mid-1970’s. The number dropped to 2.7 million in 1996 and stayed around about that figure for some years.
| Table 3. Number of Procedures on Experimental Animals in Britain in 2000. |
| Main Purpose |
Number of Procedures |
Percentage |
| Medicine |
929,700 |
34 |
| Research |
872,800 |
32 |
| Breeding |
699,600 |
26 |
| Toxicity testing |
161,200 |
6 |
| Education & Other |
51,400 |
2 |
| Total |
2,714,700 |
100 |
Source: Statistics of Scientific Procedures 1987-00. Home Office.
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