EU-wide animal research statistics, 2022

• The UK is no longer included in the statistics due to withdrawing from the EU in 2020

• 9,237,542 animals used for research in the EU (and Norway) in 2022

• Mice, fish, rats and birds account for 92% of animals used

• Cats, dogs, and monkeys account for 0.2%

• France was the highest user of animals

• The UK has already published its 2022 animal research statistics

On Friday, 19 July 2024, the European Commission published its ‘Summary Report on the statistics on the use of animals for scientific purposes in the Member States of the European Union and Norway in 2022’. The figures show that 9,237,542 animals were used for scientific, medical and veterinary research across 27 Member States and Norway in 2022, 8.3% less than in 2021. Data from the UK is no longer reported due to the UK withdrawing from the EU in 2020.

The reduction in animal use is partially attributed to a decrease in animal use of regulatory procedures (-16.2% compared to 2021). Since 2018, there has been a decreasing trend of animals used for regulatory purposes in the EU.

The five countries that used the highest number of animals for experimental purposes in 2022 were:

• France: 1,829,827 animals used (21.8%)
• Norway: 1,389,148 animals used (16.6%)
• Germany: 1,342,404 animals used (16%)
• Spain: 1,047,233 animals used (12.5%)
• Belgium: 430,671 animals used (5.1%)

In 2022, Great Britain and Northern Ireland used 1,460,954 animals for the first time in experimental procedures.

Purpose of animals used

Of the 9,237,542 animals used in research in 2022, 8,385,397 animals (90.8%) were used for experimental purposes while 852,145 animals (9.2%) were used for the creation and breeding of genetically altered animals. Animals used for experimental purposes decreased by 10.9% compared to 2021, while animals used for the creation and breeding of genetically altered animals increased by 28.2%.

92% of animals used for experimental purposes in 2022 were mice, fish, rats, and birds, whereas cats, dogs, and monkeys accounted for 0.2%.

Number of Animals Used for Experimental Purposes in the EU and Norway in 2022

Species	Number of animals used for experimental purposes (2022)	% of total	% change from 2021
Mice	4,010,766	47.8%	-1.9%
Fish	2,538,269	30.3%	-26%
Rats	625,777	7.5%	-8.4%
Birds	517,011	6.2%	3.30%
Other mammals	637,441	7.6%	-0.9%
Reptiles	4,631	0.1%	90.3%
Amphibians	32,924	0.4%	-17.5%
Monkeys	5,784	0.1%	8.8%
Cats	1,409	0.02%	601%
Dogs	8,709	0.1%	-14.1%
Cephalopods	2,676	0.03%	-13.2%
Total	8,385,397	100%	-10.84%

Experimental purposes:

Using animals in scientific studies for purposes such as basic research and the development of treatments, safety testing of pharmaceuticals and other substances, education, specific surgical training and education, environmental research and species protection.

Some animals are used more than once during research and in 2022 there were 8,477,845 procedures carried out on animals for experimental purposes, a 10.9% decrease compared to 2021. This includes basic research, which expands our knowledge of living organisms and the environment; applied research, which addresses the prevention of disease and development of treatments; and regulatory research, which includes studies aimed at ensuring product safety and the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals. Of these 8,477,845 procedures:

• 36.7% (3,113,850) were for basic research
• 35.3% (2,993,795) were for applied research
• 13% (1,103,612) were for regulatory research
• 14.9% (1,266,588) were for other purposes

Creation and breeding of genetically altered animals:

The breeding of animals whose genes have mutated or have been modified. These animals are used to produce genetically altered offspring for use in experimental procedures but are not themselves used in experimental procedures.

9.2% (852,145) of all animals used for research in 2022 were for the creation and breeding of genetically altered animals. Of these 852,145 animals used: 

• 40% (341,233) were for the creation of new lines of genetically altered animals 
• 60% (510,912) were for the purpose of maintenance of established lines of genetically altered animals

 

Severity of procedures for experimental purposes 

Severity assessments measure the harm experienced by an animal during a procedure. A procedure can be as mild as an injection, or as severe as an organ transplant. Almost half (44.7%) of experimental procedures were classed as (up to and including) mild in 2022.

Severity of Animal Procedures for Experimental Purposes in the EU and Norway in 2022

Severity	Number of procedures for experimental purposes (2022)	% of total	Change from 2021
Non-recovery	304,582	3.59%	=
Mild (up to and including)	3,789,476	44.70%	↓
Moderate	3,599,739	42.46%	↑
Severe	784,048	9.25%	↓
Total	8,477,845	100%	↓

Severity assessments reflect the peak severity of the entire procedure and are classified into four different categories:   

Non-recovery: When the entire procedure takes place under general anaesthetic and the animal is humanely killed before waking up. 

Mild (up to and including): The procedure caused short-term mild pain, suffering or distress; or no significant impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animal. For example, the equivalent of an injection or having a blood sample taken. This category also includes any animals which have not experienced a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm above the minimum threshold i.e., the equivalent caused by the introduction of a needle in accordance with good veterinary practice.

Moderate: The procedure caused short-term moderate pain, suffering or distress; long-lasting mild pain, suffering or distress; or moderate impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animal. For example, surgery is carried out under general anaesthesia followed by painkillers during recovery. 

Severe: The procedure caused severe pain, suffering or distress; long-lasting moderate pain, suffering or distress; or severe impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animal. This would usually include long-term disease processes where assistance with normal activities such as feeding and drinking were required, or where significant deficits in behaviours/activities persist. Animals found dead are commonly classified as severe as pre-mortality suffering often cannot be assessed. Most severe procedures arise in regulatory testing such as the evaluation of toxicity of drugs. 

 

Animals bred but not used

The Commission also announced that 9,572,759 animals were bred but not used in scientific research, in the EU and Norway, in 2022. This is a 0.1% increase compared to when this figure was last published in 2017 (9,560,277 animals).

These animals were not used in scientific procedures for one or more of the following reasons:

• they were breeding animals (i.e. wild types) that underwent no procedures themselves
• they were not subjected to regulated procedures but were used to provide tissue only i.e. genotyping
• they were the wrong gender for a particular purpose
• they were a necessary surplus resulting from the breeding of animals to ensure adequate supply for scientific purposes

Of the 9,572,759 animals bred but not used, 80% were mice, 7% were zebrafish and 5% were rats. When combined with the 9,237,542 animals used for scientific research, the total number of animals used to support research in the EU and Norway in 2022 was 18,810,301.  
 

UK statistics

Statistics on animal use in 2022 for Great Britain can be found here. The EU will continue to publish the EU statistics annually. However, as a result of the UK withdrawing from the EU in 2020, the data from the UK has not been included since 2019.

In the EU animal research is strictly regulated under the EU Directive 2010/63. Every procedure, from a simple blood test to major surgery, requires individual, establishment and project licences, as well as approval from animal welfare and ethical review bodies.

All organisations are committed to the ‘3Rs’ of replacement, reduction and refinement. This means avoiding or replacing the use of animals where possible; minimising the number of animals used per experiment and optimising the experience of the animals to improve animal welfare.

The use of animals to test tobacco products was banned in the UK in 1997 and it has been illegal to use animals to test cosmetic products in this country since 1998. A policy ban on household product testing using animals was introduced in 2010. Since 2013, it has been illegal to sell or import cosmetics anywhere in the EU where the finished product or its ingredients have been tested on animals.

 

On Friday, 19 July 2024, the EU Commission also published the data for 2021. We do not have a separate article on the 2021 statistics, but the report can be accessed here. Previous articles by UAR on UK and EU statistics can be accessed here.

Last edited: 14 August 2024 11:06

Back to News