EU statistics on animal experimentation 2023

: News; Published: 14 April 2026

Approximately 9.1 million animals died in European laboratories

The latest animal testing statistics published by the European Commission show that around 9.1 million animals in Europe suffered and died in experiments in 2023. Germany accounted for more than 1.2 million animals – over 13% of the total – ranking second of the EU countries after France, with 1.5 million. Doctors Against Animal Experiments (DAAE) criticizes the persistently high numbers, pointing out that even officially approved non‑animal methods are still not being implemented consistently.

In 2023, 7,974,226 animals were used for the first time in animal experiments in the EU and Norway. An additional 102,369 animals were "reused," bringing the total to 8,076,595 animals directly used in experiments. A further 330,458 animals were used for the development of genetically modified lines, almost half of them (158,467) in Germany. An additional 666,555 animals were used for the maintenance of such lines, 30% more than in 2022. The EU statistics thus record a total of 9,073,608 animals. For Germany, the total number reported by the EU is 1,456,562 animals.

The national German statistics also include animals killed for scientific purposes, such as organ harvesting, as well as so-called “surplus” animals. These were bred and killed but not used in experiments. In 2023, a total of 3,501,693 animals were used in German laboratories, according to the national German statistics. This means that approximately 42% of the animals killed in experiments are not recorded in EU statistics. Transposing this to all EU member states, the actual number of affected animals is likely to be significantly higher.

Mice were the most commonly used species among animals used for the first time in experiments in the EU and Norway, with over 3.5 million, followed by fish with over 2.8 million and rats with over 570,000. However, countless other animals were subjected to procedures that caused suffering and death. In total, 8,352 dogs were used, almost as many as in 2022 (8,709). Particularly alarming are the sharp increases in the use of cats – from 1,409 to 1,840 (approximately +30%) – and in the category of "other carnivores," which rose from 840 to 5,154 (+513%). The number of cephalopods also increased dramatically, from 2,676 in 2022 to 7,055 in 2023 – an increase of 163%.

One cautiously positive sign is that the number of primates used for the first time fell to 5,836 in 2023 – a 24% decrease compared with the 7,650 animals recorded the previous year. Most primates are likely used in harmful toxicity testing, while many also endure years of invasive brain research, as indicated by previous statistics and reports. (2). Germany once again ranks second in the use of primates, with 1,665 animals, behind France with 3,459 animals.

In comparison to 2022, the EU statistics for 2023 show only a meager decrease of 4.9% in the number of animals used for the first time – a figure that is completely at odds with the explosive growth in the availability of highly effective non-animal research methods.

The proportion of "severe" animal experiments decreased only slightly to 8.7% in 2023, which meant extreme suffering for over 703,000 animals. It should be noted that animal researchers themselves specify the severity level in their animal experiment applications – it is therefore likely that the severity is underrated in many cases. In previous years, the proportion of severely distressing animal experiments fluctuated between 9 and 11%.

In 2023, 37% of animals (3.1 million) were used in translational and applied research, and around 34% for basic research, which by definition has no specific practical application (around 3 million animals). In the case of regulatory testing, i.e. animal experiments required by law, the number of used animal fell by 4.6% in 2023 to 1.05 million animals – a trend that has persisted for years and is primarily attributable to changes in pharmaceutical regulations. Previously, however, the decline was significantly steeper, at around 16% from 2021 to 2022.

“In the case of pyrogen tests on rabbits, there was only a 7% decrease in 2023 compared with 2022. We had expected a much stronger decline, as the test was already on its way to being removed from the European Pharmacopoeia by 2025,” says Dr. Dilyana Filipova, Scientific Officer at DAAE.

According to DAAE, this deletion is long overdue, as animal-free methods have been available for 30 years. Thus, 2025 will finally mark the end of rabbit pyrogen testing (3). Nevertheless, in 2023, 17,770 rabbits in the EU still died in pyrogen tests, including around 700 in Germany.

Despite the availability of validated, animal-free methods for regulatory testing, an alarmingly high number of animals continue to be used. “In skin sensitization tests (allergy tests), 29,365 animals died; in skin irritation tests, 2,816 animals; and in eye irritation tests, 334 animals — even though validated, regulatory-accepted non-animal methods are available for all three areas,” criticizes Filipova.

“Particularly concerning is the continued increase in animal testing for industrial chemicals,” warns Filipova. In 2023, a total of 174,634 animals were used for this purpose — 15% more than in 2022 and 41% more than five years earlier, in 2018.

The figures reveal a consistently high level of animal use despite some fluctuations. Particularly troubling is the continued use of animals in tests where validated, non-animal methods are already accepted by authorities. “In areas showing declines, progress is far too slow and smaller than expected. At the same time, animal testing is increasing in other fields, even though the number of precise, human-relevant methods is growing rapidly. We call for a clear strategy at both national and EU level aimed to bring animal experiments to an end,” says Filipova.

EU statistics on animal experimentation 2023

Approximately 9.1 million animals died in European laboratories

References