The line graph depicts the proportion of British teenagers who follow meat-free lifestyles over a 60-year period from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the percentage of adolescents that follow vegetarian diets peaked early in the 1980s, and dropped significantly, followed by a steady rise and a period of stability in the final years.
In 1960, none of the teenagers in Britain followed a plant-based diet. Over the following two decades, this figure increased sharply, reaching its highest point of approximately 16% in 1980. Following this peak, the figure rapidly declined over the next 17 years. By the late 1990s, the proportion of individuals in this age group eating a vegetarian diet had dropped to just under 5%.
After hitting this low point, the trend reversed. The representation of youth choosing a meat-free meals steadily climbed until it had roughly doubled from its previous low point. For the final decade leading up to 2020, this interest flattened out and remained completely unchanged.