Numbers of animals

Year Number of animals used in research at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
2024 54,779
2023 68,135
2022 71,406
2021 87,403
2020 72,823
2019 99,295
2018 102,497
2017 97,787
2016 101,369
2015 101,179
2014 111,874
2013 130,358
2012 123,547
2011 106,772
2010 139,725
2009 125,566
2008 115,282

Types of animals used in 2024

Type of animal Number Percentage
Mice 50115 91.49
Fish 877 1.60
Rats 1736 3.17
Birds 1042 1.90
Guinea pigs 797 1.45
Rabbits 39 0.07
Hamsters 161 0.29
Ferrets 12 0.02

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

  Mouse Zebrafish Rat Bird Guinea-pig Rabbit Hamsters Ferrets Total
Severity                  
Sub-threshold 18036 0 47 0 0 0 1 0 18084
Mild 12743 785 114 1042 63 0 148 12 14907
Moderate 13240 0 729 0 591 0 12 0 14572
Severe 995 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 997
Non-recovery 272 0 101 0 21 0 0 0 394
                   
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 45286 785 993 1042 675 0 161 12 48954
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 45286 785 993 1042 675 0 161 12 48954
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 4829 92 743 0.00 122 39 0 0 5825
Total numbers 50115 877 1736 1042 797 39 161 12 54779

 

Total Number of animals bred on site in 2024

mice zebrafish rats 
28811 1193 291

 

 

Types of animals used in:

2023

Types of animals used in 2023

Type of animal Number Percentage
Mice 63646 93.41%
Fish 1674 2.46%
Rats 1709 2.51%
Birds 25 0.04%
Guinea-pigs 799 1.17%
Rabbits 42 0.06%
Hamsters 240 0.35%

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

Mouse Zebrafish Rat Bird Guinea-pig Rabbit Hamsters Total
Severity                
Sub-threshold 19161 0 36 0 0 0 0 19197
Mild 20604 1496 311 25 6 0 240 22682
Moderate 15676 0 616 0 621 0 0 16913
Severe 1091 0 7 0 0 0 0 1098
Non-recovery 524 0 144 0 0 22 0 690
                 Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 57056 1496 1114 25.00 627 22 240 60580
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 57056 1496 1114 25.00 627 22 240 60580
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 6590 178 595 0.00 172 20 0 7555
Total numbers 63646 1674 1709 25 799 42 240 68135
2022

Types of animals used in 2022

Type of animal Number Percentage
Mice 65344 91.51%
Fish 2584 3.62%
Rats 1860 2.6%
Birds 196 0.27%
Guinea-pigs 1212 1.7%
Rabbits 46 0.06%
Hamsters 164 0.23%

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

  Mouse Zebrafish Rat Bird Guinea-pig Rabbit Hamsters Total
Severity                
Sub threshold 15943 1786 22 0 0 0 0 17751
Mild 24551 85 438 196 25 0 158 25453 
Moderate 14409 429 463 0 548 0 3 15852
Severe 588 2 1 0 1 0 3 595 
Non-recovery 1006 0 231 0 0 16 0 1253
                Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 56497 2302 1155 196 574 16 164 60904
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 56497 2302 1155 196 574 16 164 60904
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 8847 282 705 0 638 30 0 10502
Total numbers 65344 2584 1860 196 1212 46 164 71406
2021

Types of animals used in 2021

Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 77527 88.7%
Fish 5959 6.82%
Rats 2648 3.03%
Birds 239 0.27%
Guinea-pigs 809 0.93%
Ferrets 14 0.02%
Rabbits 24 0.03%
Hamsters 183 0.21%

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

  Mouse Zebrafish Rat Bird Guinea-pig Ferret Rabbit Hamsters Total
Severity                  
Sub threshold 18516 4079 0 0 0 7 0 0 22602 
Mild 32482 1262 552 239 50 7 6 107 34705 
Moderate 14969 184 961 0 585 0 0 73 16772 
Severe 510 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 514 
Non-recovery 1608 3 117 0 0 0 4 0 1732
                  Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 68085 5528 1631 239 635 14 10 183 76325
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 68085 5528 1631 239 635 14 10 183 76325
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 9442 431 1017 0 174 0 14 0 11078
Total numbers 77527 5959 2648 239 809 14 24 183 87403

 

2020

Types of animals used in 2020

Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 64628 88.75%
Fish 3857 5.3%
Rats 3011 4.13%
Birds 175 0.24%
Guinea-pigs 1054 1.45%
Ferrets 67 0.09%
Rabbits 31 0.04%

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

  Mouse Zebrafish Rat Bird Guinea-pig Ferret Rabbit Total
Severity                
Sub threshold 17110 843 0 0 0 0 0 17953
Mild 24395 1348 811 175 502 67 15 27313
Moderate 12590 195 1079 0 337 0 10 14211
Severe 1089 6 6 0 0 0 0 1101
Non-recovery 1699 1170 210 0 13 0 0 3092
                Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 56883 3562 2106 175 852 67 25 63670
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 56883 3562 2106 175 852 67 25 63670
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 7745 295 905 0 202 0 6 9153
Total numbers 64628 3857 3011 175 1054 67 31 72823
2019

Types of animals used in 2019

Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 87,202 87.82%
Fish 6,100 6.14%
Rats 4,745 4.78%
Birds 713 0.72%
Guinea-pigs 414 0.42%
Ferrets 65 0.07%
Rabbits 52 0.05%
Amphibians 4 0.004%

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

  Mouse Zebrafish Rat Bird Guinea-pig Ferret Rabbit Amphibian Total
Severity                  
Sub threshold 23,468 1,596 0 0 0 0 0 0 25,064
Mild 29,351 1,271 906 713 0 65 15 0 32,321
Moderate 14,424 1,913 2161 0 227 0 23 0 18,748
Severe 702 0 9 0 0 0 0 4 715
Non-recovery 2,480 1,257 173 0 31 0 10 0 3,951
                  Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 70,425 6,037 3,249 713 258 65 48 4 80,799
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 70,425 6,037 3,249 713 258 65 48 4 80,799
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 16,777 63 1,496 0 156 0 4 0 18,496
Total numbers 87,202 6,100 4,745 713 414 65 52 4 99,295
2018

Types of animals used in 2018

Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 89956 87.76%
Rats 4958 4.84%
Fish 6898 6.73%
Guinea-pigs 307 0.3%
Birds 177 0.17%
Rabbits 144 0.14%
Ferrets 57 0.06%

Breakdown of the number of procedures by year using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

  Zebrafish Mouse Rat Guinea-pig Rabbit Ferret Bird  
Severity                
Sub threshold 3726 18460 180 0 0 0 0 22366
Mild 1149 39252 980 44 0 42 177 41644
Moderate 956 13289 2784 150 43 13 0 17235
Severe 92 1126 36 2 0 0 0 1256
Non-recovery 830 2067 259 33 82 0 0 3271
                Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 6753 74194 4239 229 125 55 177 85772
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 6753 74190 4239 229 125 55 177 85768
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 145 15766 719 78 19 2 0 16729
Total numbers 6898 89956 4958 307 144 57 177 102497
2017

Types of animals used in 2017

Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 88024 90.01%
Rats 4487 4.58%
Fish 4653 4.75%
Guinea-pigs 383 0.39%
Birds 144 0.14%
Rabbits 86 0.08%
Ferrets 10 0.01%

Breakdown of the number of procedures in 2017 using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

User Guide to

  Zebrafish Mouse Rat Guinea-pig Rabbit Ferret Bird  
Severity                
Sub threshold 1,544 18,784 349 0 0 0 0 20,677
Mild 1,617 35,490 351 34 2 10 111 37,615
Moderate 798 13,483 2,863 197 10 0 0 17,351
Severe 35 513 42 2 2 0 0 594
Non-recovery 126 2,621 408 47 53 0 0 3,255
                Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 4,120 70,891 4,013 280 67 10 111 79,492
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 4,120 70,891 4,013 280 67 10 111 79,492
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 533 17,133 474 103 19 0 33 18,295
Total numbers 4,653 88,024 4,487 383 86 10 144 97,787
2016
Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 87,389 86.21%
Rats 6,403 6.32%
Fish 6,304 6.22%
Guinea-pigs 531 0.52%
Birds 509 0.50%
Amphibians 146 0.14%
Rabbits 72 0.07%
Ferrets 15 0.01%

Breakdown of the number of procedures in 2016 using the different classifications of procedure as defined by the Home Office

User Guide to

  Zebrafish Mouse Rat Guinea-pig Rabbit Ferret Bird Amphibian  
Severity                  
Sub threshold 2,702 23,480 1,078 0 0 0 0 0  
Mild 931 34,550 507 55 3 11 506 0  
Moderate 2,176 18,078 3,499 306 17 2 0 0  
Severe 325 174 48 1 1 2 0 146  
Non-recovery 23 2,476 388 40 45 0 0 0  
                  Total
Total number of scientific procedures carried out under project licence authority 6,157 78,758 5,520 402 66 15 506 146 91,570
Total number of animals used under project licence authority 6,157 78,758 5,520 402 66 15 506 146 91,570
Animals used for breeding or tissue collection purposes 147 8,631 883 129 6 0 3 0 9,799
Total numbers 6,304 87,389 6,403 531 72 15 509 146 101,369
2015
Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 84,238 83.26%
Fish 10,477 10.35%
Rats 5,927 5.86%
Guinea-pigs 266 0.26%
Rabbits 213 0.21%
Amphibians 42 0.04%
Ferrets 16 0.02%
2014
Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 93,543 83.61%
Fish 10,685 9.55%
Rats 6,853 6.13%
Guinea-pigs 256 0.23%
Other rodents 252 0.23%
Rabbits 209 0.19%
Amphibians 56 0.05%
Ferrets 20 0.02%
2013
Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 117,707 90.29%
Rats 8,356 6.41%
Fish 3,287 2.53%
Birds 536 0.41%
Guinea-pigs 252 0.19%
Rabbits 140 0.11%
Ferrets 36 0.03%
Other rodents 44 0.03%
2012
Type of animalNumberPercentage
Mice 112,620 91.15%
Rats 8,852 7.16%
Fish 916 0.74%
Guinea-pigs 602 0.49%
Amphibians 303 0.25%
Rabbits 220 0.18%
Ferrets 28 0.02%
Pigs 6 0.01%

These figures are provided each year to the Home Office, which publishes on the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain.