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This can be related to the religious composition. I have some Hindu friends who only eat vegetarian for example.
Oh yes, Iceland has the largest Hindu population in Europe. /s
I find it interesting that there are 400 000 people in Iceland, so that means there are 15 vegan restaurants total.
Does Sweden have a lot of Hindus ? Or is it something else at play there?
Sweden does definitely not have a lot of Hindus. Hardcore environmentalists are prevalent though.
vegetarianism is very regional even in India: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/comments/rrpytx/vegetarianism_by_states_in_india/
Explains UK and Netherlands.
The UK has a long history of vegetarianism; it's not really related to Hinduism.
We usually don't have many Hindus as India =/= Indonesia (they'd be mostly eating halal), however, there is a small minority of Hindu Surinamese people in the Netherlands. I also think it has to do with successful animal rights campaigning (WakkerDier) and political establishment (Partij voor de Dieren), besides also having many people who are sick and done by the destruction that the Dutch cattle industry has done to our nation, to our nature, and also our prospects of housing. People are homeless because some lobbyists wanna keep farming so many animals that we're with hardly any doubt the next pandemic's incubator while also destroying Brazil this way.
It might also be down to the UK and Netherlands not having the top cuisine in the world. Might as well turn vegan /s
Most regular restaurants have plenty of vegetarian options. Unless you're looking specifically for a plant-based meat substitute, there's little need for dedicated places.
It sucks so hard as a norwegian vegetarian. No vegetarian options at gas stations, and you'll be eating a pizza margherita everytime you're at a restaurant. I remember I once asked for a baguette with just cheese at a gas station and if they could make me one, and nope, not possible. Fucked up.
At least you got Margherita, try being a vegan -.-
I did try being a vegan but found it impossible unfortunately... I feel for you. It's definitely not easy.
Why are there so few options?
Vegetarianism and veganism isn't really a thing here. An average norwegian mostly consumes meat and fish. There are a lot of farmers etc in the more rural parts of Norway, however in the Capital you'll find plenty of alternatives. Norway is still very conservative morally if that makes sense.. Very traditional and people try to follow the norms, not wanting to stand out in any way. If you tell people you're vegetarian they almost look at you like an alien lol. It's almost frowned upon if you mention you're vegan or vegetarian.
I think the UK numbers will have fallen significantly in recent years because veganism is so commonplace now that vegans are catered for at most normal restaurants, thus the demand for vegan specific restaurants has dropped