Vegans are ‘more interested in open relationships’ than meat eaters, survey finds

‘Due to their self-assured and less traditional eating choice, they are more likely to have the strong confidence needed to consider relationships that are also different from the norm’

Vegans and vegetarians are more likely to be in open relationships (iStock)

Vegans are far more interested in open relationships than meat-eaters, according to a new survey.

Nearly 34 per cent of vegans and vegetarians are interested in an open relationship, compared to just 20 per cent of the general population, according to an analysis of user data from Veggly, a dating app for vegans and vegetarians.

The findings also show that three quarters (73.4 per cent) of the dating app’s users are interested in long term, monogamous relationships.

More than half (56 per cent) are interested in “one-off dates”, while over a third (33.8 per cent) are interested in open relationship. Just over half (57.2 per cent) are interested in meeting new friends.

Jo Hemmings, a behavioural psychologist and relationship coach, described the data as “fascinating”.

“Vegans, in particular, have already taken an ethical decision not to eat meat, and this has become one of their core values when meeting a match,” she said.

“Due to their self-assured and less traditional eating choice, they are more likely to have the strong confidence needed to consider relationships that are also different from the ‘norm’.

“They have already broken away from the traditional norms for diet, so why not break away from relationship norms as well?

“That norm-breaking confidence may also be carried into other areas of relationships, and could result in a stronger likelihood to experiment in the bedroom or with other varieties of relationship that aren’t in keeping with traditional relationship structures.”

The number of people open to non-monogamous relationships appears to be rising.

A study from the Journal of Sex Research found that Google searches for terms related to open relationships have been rising steadily over the past 10 years.

And a later study by the same group of researchers discovered that more than one in five Americans have engaged in a non-monogamous relationship at some point.

However, it is difficult for researchers to get exact numbers.

“There’s no real way to know how common non-monogamy is,” sex educator Charlie Glickman told Fatherly.

“Part of that is that there isn’t a good definition of the term that enough people recognize, so the research is tricky.

“It’s also difficult to get people to be honest about their sex lives, even when it isn’t outside the norm.