The UK government has published its annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific research, revealing the sheer volume of procedures involving living animals were carried out in British laboratories in the previous year.
The statistics, released on 23 October 2025 by the Home Office, show that the number of scientific procedures involving animals in UK medical research has marginally declined. From 2023 to 2024, the total number of procedures decreased by 1.5%.
While a reduction in animal suffering of any magnitude is welcomed, The Humane Research Trust urges greater urgency and investment in more ethical alternatives.
Key findings from the 2024 report
A total of 2.64 million procedures involving live animals were conducted in Great Britain in 2024
Overall, procedures on live animals are down by 1.5% from the previous year
Mice remain the most common test subject, accounting for 820,644 procedures
In total, 1.43 million were experimental procedures, while 1.21 million procedures were for breeding genetically modified animals for use in research
The majority of animal experiments (78%) were aimed at tackling human diseases or testing treatments for human use
Basic research accounted for 52% of experiments, with the main areas of focus being the nervous system (23%), immune system (18%), and cancer (14%)
31% of experimental procedures were deemed to cause moderate or severe suffering to the animals involved
These statistics do not include all the animals used to manufacture products for use in laboratories, nor animals that don’t qualify for protections under UK regulation
While we welcome the continued downward trend in animal procedures, the pace of change remains far too slow. Every year, millions of animals are still subjected to experiments in UK laboratories, and thousands endure significant suffering. The statistics also do not account for the millions of animals used globally to produce research products such as foetal calf serum and antibodies.
At The Humane Research Trust, we believe that scientific progress and compassion can go hand in hand. We are committed to funding and promoting innovative alternatives that replace the use of animals in research. But real change requires greater investment, stronger incentives, and a shared commitment across the scientific community.
We urge policymakers, other funders, and researchers to accelerate the transition to humane, effective alternatives. The future of medical research must be one where animals are no longer used as test subjects.”
- Dr Alison Giles CEO, The Humane Research Trust
Learn more about our work as a charity to end animal experiments
The Home Office’s Animals in Science Regulation Unit report paints a troubling picture of animal research in the UK. It reveals the rise in licences for animal experiments, plus details breaches where animals have suffered unnecessarily.
