2025 survey
Mapping the animal movement in Spain
Who makes up the movement, how we get involved, what holds us back and where we want to go: the results of the largest survey to date of animal advocacy in Spain.
- 647responses
- 510activists
- 30variables
- Apr–Jun2025
About the survey
Between April and June 2025 we collected 647 responses from all over Spain. 510 people consider themselves activists, which makes this survey one of the largest empirical studies of animal advocacy in the country.
We shared it through animal advocacy organizations, social media and activist channels on WhatsApp and Telegram. The questionnaire, in Spanish, covered 30 variables: demographics, diet, activism history and level, organizations, strategic preferences, access to resources, connection, burnout and political orientation. Ratings use 1–5 scales.
It is a practical basis for people who lead organizations, for funders who want to support the movement better, and for every activist who wants to increase their impact.
Notes and limitations
No definition of "activist" was given, so each person applied their own, from campaign professionals to occasional volunteers. Some answer options were not explained in depth, because terminology is read in different ways within the movement. When a chart covers only people who want to do more but face barriers, it says so. The sample may have reached more experienced activists more easily.
Five key findings
- 0174%
Women, vegan and driven by ethics
Activists are mostly women (74%), vegan (60%) and left-leaning (76%), and they are driven by ethics toward animals (92%).
- 026%
Few newcomers
Almost half (49%) have been active for more than ten years and only 6% for less than two. The movement would benefit from attracting more newcomers.
- 0381%
We do least what we think works
The most common forms are social media (82%), protests (74%) and boycotts (60%). What is seen as most effective is media outreach (81%), political pressure (80%), educational materials (74%) and legal action (71%).
- 043.06
A moderate impact
Both one's own activism (3.06 out of 5) and the movement as a whole are rated somewhere in the middle.
- 0580%
Burnout is the norm
Lack of time (63%) and money (35%) hold people back. Four in five activists have felt frustration or exhaustion; more than two in five feel it often.
1. Who we are
The average age is around 47 and youth participation is low. Three in four people are women, most follow a vegan or vegetarian diet and place themselves on the political left.
Age
Average age: 47.4. Only 2.4% are under 25.
Gender
Diet
Among activists the vegetarian share is "close to 20%". Almost half (48.8%) have kept their diet for more than 10 years; only 4% adopted it in the last two.
Why that diet
Multiple answers.
Political orientation
Where they live
Asturias 3.5%, Cantabria 2.8%, Murcia 2%, Extremadura 1.4%, Canary Islands 1.2%, Balearic Islands 1%, Navarre 0.8% and La Rioja 0.4%; nobody from Ceuta or Melilla. By city: Madrid 16.1%, Barcelona 5.9%; 68% live elsewhere.
2. How we get involved
97% show some degree of involvement or interest. It is a very experienced base: on average, 14.3 years in the movement. Most are linked to one or more organizations and 43% give at least three hours a week.
How they are involved
- Actively 78.8%
- Mainly on social media 21.2%
Years of activism
Mean: 14.3 years.
Hours a week
"Over 6 h": around 30%.
What kind of activism they do
Multiple answers. 3.1% mentioned other forms.
Who they work with
Multiple answers; many smaller groups were also named: a diverse, decentralised movement.
Have you taken part in awareness or political pressure campaigns?
- Several times 44.7%
- At least once 31.6%
- Not yet, but interested 19.8%
- Never, not interested 3.9%
3. What holds us back
The barriers are structural (time, money) as well as informational or emotional. Burnout is widespread and access to resources feels moderately hard, although people who are better connected find them more easily.
What stops people doing more
Frustration or exhaustion from activism
80% have felt it
- Often 41.6%
- Occasionally 39%
- Not yet, but I worry 12.4%
- Never 7%
How connected do you feel to other activists?
Mean3.34/ 5
Not at allVery
Is it easy to find resources that support your activism?
Mean2.68/ 5
Very hardVery easy
People who feel connected to other activists find resources more easily.
What support they need
What training they want
What would bring more people in
Want to do more but face barriers
Answered by people who want to do more but face barriers. The barriers are mostly about information, relationships and structure.
4. How we see the movement
There is a gap between what we do most and what we believe works best. People ask for unity, political presence and a balanced path between radical and institutional approaches.
What we do versus what we think works
- Do it (activists)
- Seen as effective
Media outreach is the highest-rated strategy (81%), but the survey did not ask how many people practice it. "Educational content" compares content creation with the creation of educational content.
Impact of your own activism
Mean3.06/ 5
Very lowVery high
The impact of the movement as a whole is rated even lower: 2.71 on average; only 13.5% give it a 4 or 5.
Impact of media campaigns (documentaries, videos, ads)
Mean3.61/ 5
Mean among activists. The report does not break this group's answers down by score.
Should the movement be more radical or more institutional?
- 1 · More radical 10.78%
- 2 9.41%
- 3 · Balanced 36.08%
- 4 25.49%
- 5 · More institutional 18.24%
Mean 3.31 / 5
Among people who want to do more, the mean is 3.47: a slight lean toward the institutional.
Importance of politics for animal rights
- 5 · Highest 60%
- 4 22.2%
- 3 or less 17.8%
Mean 4.29 among activists and 4.25 among people who want to do more. 75.5% of activists think the movement should have a stronger political presence.
What the movement needs
- Activists
- Want to do more but face barriers
5. Veganism and alliances
Inclusive, pragmatic approaches are preferred to rigid ideological lines, and a clear majority wants alliances with other movements, above all environmentalism.
The movement's stance on veganism
The first two options can go together. Among people who want to do more, 51.7% prefer opening activism up and only 8.5% the moral obligation.
Which movements to ally with
Usefulness of working with other movements: 3.99 out of 5; 44% call it very useful. Among people who want to do more, 71.2% support an alliance with environmentalists.
Our strategic conclusions
"unity" is the word people used most when we asked, in free text, what the movement needs.
- There is a drastic need to prioritize stronger connection between activists.
- We need to address the lack of pathways for learning and strategic development.
- The movement needs to create spaces for cohesion and collective care.
IMAE's mission is to strengthen the Spanish animal advocacy movement by fostering connection, building collective capacity and promoting strategic collaboration. That is why we are building a new platform for the movement for farmed animals.
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