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Fur statistics, facts and figures

Fur Statistics, Facts & Figures 2022/2023

Are you looking for interesting fur statistics and general facts and figures about the fur industry? Then you've come to the right place! The majority of all items of clothing now contain animal material. Especially popular: real fur! But as chic and inconspicuous as it may appear as a fluffy bobble on a hat or on the collar and hood of a winter jacket, there is often a cruel story behind it. And that's exactly what I'd like to make a little more tangible for you with the help of some statistics.

In this article, you will therefore find the most important facts and figures about the fur industry - from general statistics, clothing, locations and the animals themselves to the prevailing opinion on the fur industry. Fur industry in our society.

In advance here is a short Table of contents for the contribution:

  1. General
  2. Clothing
  3. Locations
  4. Animals
  5. Society
  6. Closing words

My please: If you use any of the fur statistics from this post on the internet or elsewhere, please cite the following source. Thank you very much for your support!

https://www.careelite.de/pelz-statistiken-fakten-pelzindustrie

General statistics and figures on the fur industry

Here are some facts to give you an initial idea of the extent of the fur industry:

  • About 15 percent of the world's traded furs come from animals from hunting.₁
  • Between 80 and 85 percent of the pelts in the fur trade today one produces in industrial fur farms.₂
  • Worldwide, 44.4 million minks and 7.8 million foxes alone are killed every year for fur production. According to estimates, a total of over 90 million animals per year give their lives for fur fashion.₃
  • Also the skins of about one billion Rabbit and two million Dogs and cats end up on the market every year as fur products.₄
  • In Denmark in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic meant that around 19 million minks gassed become.₅
  • During the tanning of the fur comes approx. 100 different, environmentally harmful chemicals for use.₆

Statistics on clothing from furs and skins

Fashion with fur on the hook

There are also some interesting facts and figures about fur clothing that I would like to share with you:

  • For a single fur coat about 50 minks, 12 foxes or 150 chinchillas have to die.₇
  • Worldwide, according to the International Fur Association. In 2016, about 75 million mink furs worth around 1.97 billion euros produced.₈
  • It takes around 20 times more energy to produce a mink coat than to produce artificial fur.₉
  • The Turnover of the fur products manufacturing industry in Germany amounted to 35.6 million euros in 2019 and has been steadily declining since 2012.₁₀

Facts and figures about locations and fur farms

The production and trade of real fur is now illegal in many places, but by no means everywhere. Here are some fur statistics that might interest you:

  • In China, about 50 percent of all fur products traded worldwide are made from fur.₁₁
  • According to research by the German Animal Welfare Office, there are 800 to 1000 fur farms in Poland with a total of around five million animals.₁₂
  • Round 60 percent of all animals in the fur industry are kept in Europe and skinned. There are around 5000 fur farms in the EU Member States alone.₁₃
  • Some European countries, such as Luxembourg, Croatia, Norway, Macedonia, Austria, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Belgium, have Fur already banned.₁₄

Facts & figures about the animals in the fur industry itself

Animals in the fur industry - Facts & Figures

There is no question that for fur Animals tortured become. Foxes, minks and other animals are not only kept in cramped cages, but are also killed using cruel methods such as gassing or anal electrocution. But until you see the suffering with your own eyes, it's easy to ignore it and leave things as they are. Here are fur statistics on the animals themselves that are guaranteed to open your eyes:

  • It takes about 60-180 seconds, until the anesthesia sets inwhen minks are gassed with carbon monoxide.₁₅
  • A mink would live in freedom about 7-10 years. In captivity, the animals are killed when they are just 6 months old.₁₆
  • The Precinct of a wild fox is about 20 million times larger than its cage in a fur farm.₁₇₇
  • 90 percent of the animals caught in traps do not belong to the species for which the traps were originally set.₁₈
  • 70 percent of all minks in captivity show Behavioral disorders.₁₉

What is society's opinion of the fur industry?

Finally, one last statistic about the general opinion towards "fur production" in our society:

  • A GfK survey conducted in 2016 shows that around 80 percent of Germans have a Ban on fur farms advocate.₂₀

These survey results confirm that the majority of Germans do not consider animal fur to be a necessary part of clothing and could do without it.

Use fur statistics, facts & figures to raise awareness!

Fox and raccoon as victims of the fur industry

In order to wear fur clothing, we capture, torture and kill wild animals. And we do this even though we can simply wear other items of clothing made from natural raw materials that are free from animal suffering. Therefore, abandon fur. Preferably also on faux fur - because even if it is usually more environmentally friendly and definitely more animal-friendly, it also looks deceptively real and thus contributes to fur fashion continuing to find acceptance in our society. You can also motivate other people to think about the background to the fur trade and to stand up for the animals in everyday life.

One more thing: if you still want to wear the fluffy accessories despite these facts, then make sure to check the Real fur test.

I hope I've been able to give you a more tangible picture of the creepy industry with these fur stats. Do you have any questions, suggestions or more facts? As always, feel free to drop me a comment.

Stay animal-friendly,

Christoph from CareElite - Plastic-free living

PS: The fur trade is only one of the reasons for this, why i live vegan. In the linked article you can find out what else motivates me to do this. Have fun!

References:

₁,₄,₉,₁₁₁ PETA Deutschland e.V.: The truth about fur: 10 shocking facts! (as of April 2012), available at https://www.peta.de/themen/pelzwahrheiten. [12.08.2021].

₂,₃,₇,₁₃,₁₆,₁₇,₁₉,₂₀ animal public e.V.: Facts and figures on fur, available at https://t1p.de/petg. [12.08.2021].

₅,₈,₁₂ M. Brauer: Millions of minks have to die because of corona (as of 05.11.2020), available at https://t1p.de/7dhw. [12.08.2021].

₆ Nachhaltig-sein.info: Why fur is back or has never been gone: The fur world in numbers (infographic, 2013), available at https://t1p.de/6u50. [12.08.2021].

₁₀ Statista GmbH (2021): Turnover of the fur product manufacturing industry in Germany from 2012 to 2019 and forecast up to 2025, available at https://de.statista.com/prognosen/924712/herstellung-von-pelzwaren-umsatz-in-deutschland. [12.08.2021].

₁₄ PETA Deutschland e.V.: Fur ban: Fur is banned in these countries and cities (as of June 2021), available at https://www.peta.de/themen/pelzverbot. [12.08.2021].

₁₅ Edmund Haferbeck (1990): Fur farming - the senseless dying. Göttingen: Echo Verlag.

₁₈ Association Against Animal Factories: Background knowledge on fur, available at https://vgt.at/projekte/pelz/fakten.php. [12.08.2021].

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* Links with asterisks are so-called Affiliate linksIf you click on it and buy something, you automatically and actively support my work with CareElite.de, as I receive a small share of the proceeds - and of course nothing changes in the product price. Many thanks for your support and best regards, Christoph!

Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.

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