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Use of Laboratory Animals in 2020

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has compiled the data from the Federal States of Germany on the use of laboratory animals during 2020 and submitted all of the data to the European Commission. The numbers have decreased significantly compared to the previous year.

Total number of animals used in 2020

Almost 1.9 million vertebrates and cephalopods were used in animal experiments in Germany in accordance with Section 7 Paragraph 2 of the Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG). Compared to 2019 (2.2 million animals), the numbers have decreased by 14%. When reporting the animals used, a distinction is made between animals used for the first-time and re-used animals (see Table 1). First-time use means that the animals were used once in an experimental project within the year under report. A single test project may involve several steps, e.g. the administration of a substance and subsequent investigation during experiment. The year in which the experimental project was ended must be reported. Re-use indicates that the animal has already been used in an experimental project and was then used in another experimental project. In Table 21 of the detailed report, the numbers of first-use and re-used animals are broken down by species.

In addition to the requirements of the EU Laboratory Animal Directive 2010/63/EU, animals are also recorded in Germany that are killed for scientific purposes (Section 4 Paragraph 3 TierSchG) without prior interventions or treatments - for example to use their organs or cell material from these animals for scientific purposes (Table 1). This number has also decreased significantly compared to 2019 by 9%. A detailed list of the animals killed for scientific purposes by species can be found in Table 47 of the report.

Table 1: Total number of animals used for scientific purposes in 2020 (according to Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG) and animals killed for scientific purposes (according to Section 4 Paragraph 3 TierSchG) compared to 2019.

Used Animals

Overall, the numbers for animals that were used in experiments in 2020 have decreased significantly compared to the previous year (Figure 1 and Table 2). However, the percentages show only minor changes. About 78% of the laboratory animals used were rodents, mainly mice and rats. Mice make up about 71% and rats about 7% of the animals used. The proportion of mice increased yet again over the previous year, whereas the proportion of rats fell. As in the previous year, fish (zebrafish and other fish species) are the second most frequently used laboratory animal species with 12%, indicating a drop of approx. 4% over the previous year in terms of proportion. The proportion of rabbits (approx. 4%) has also decreased slightly compared to 2019, while the proportion of birds (domestic chickens and other bird species) has remained the same at almost 2%. There was also a clear decrease in animal experiments with monkeys and prosimians (see below for more precise figures). The proportion of other laboratory animals is around 5%, slightly above the previous year's level. The exact numbers of laboratory animals for the other animal species, broken down according to first-use and re-use, can be found in Table 21 of the report).

Figure 1: Numbers and proportions of the animal species used in animal experiments in 2020 (in accordance with Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG). For a larger version of this figure, please click here (1.5 MB).

Table 2: Numbers and proportions of the animal species used in experiments according to Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG in 2019 and 2020.

Use of monkeys and prosimians

The number of monkeys and prosimians used in animal experiments fell sharply in 2020. In 2020, a total of 2,031 monkeys and prosimians were reported, 1,245 fewer than in 2019 (3,276 animals). This represents a decrease of around 38% over the previous year. In monkeys and prosimians, the proportion of re-used animals is very high compared to other animal species (approx. 78% re-use compared to, for example, approx. 2-3% in mice and rats (see Table 21 in the report). Great apes were last used for scientific purposes in Germany in 1991.

Use of dogs and cats

The numbers have also decreased significantly for dogs and cats, which were used in particular for legally required experiments and for applied research. The number of dogs used decreased by around 27% from the previous year (2019: 3,519 animals, 2020: 2,560 animals), while the number of cats decreased by around 32% (2019: 954 animals, 2020: 644 animals. In dogs and cats, too, the proportion of re-used animals is comparatively high with 47% dogs and 43% cats (see also Table 21 of the report).

Use of fish (zebrafish and other fish species)

In 2020, 227,996 fish were used for the first-time and re-used in animal experiments in accordance with Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG. The number of these animals has decreased significantly from 347,543 fish in the previous year.

Use of genetically modified animals

The total number of genetically modified animals has decreased compared to 2019. The proportion of the total number of animals rose slightly in 2020 to 48% compared to 44% in the previous year (Table 3). The proportion of genetically modified animals with a pathological phenotype has also increased from the previous year, while the proportion of genetically modified animals without a pathological phenotype has remained the same. In particular, mice (89%) and zebra fish (10%) were used in this category (for a more detailed breakdown, see Table 20 of the report.)

Table 3. Numbers and proportions of genetically and non-genetically modified animals that were used in tests in accordance with Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG in 2019 and 2020.

Severity of the experiments

Two-thirds (67%) of all animal experiments were classified as only slightly harmful. This proportion increased by 2% from 2019. The proportion of animal experiments with medium harm remains unchanged at 24%, while the proportion of severely harmful animal experiments has decreased from 5% (2019) to 4% from the previous year (Figure 2). The proportion of animal experiments that were carried out completely under general anaesthesia, from which the animals were no longer awakened (non-recovery of vital function), is around 6% and therefore remains at the same level as in previous year. A precise list of exposures "experiment purpose and animal species" can be found in Tables 22-34 of the report.

Figure 2: Severity of the experiments carried out in 2020 in accordance with Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG, shown according to number of animals and proportions. The corresponding figures for 2019 can be viewed on the website of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). For a larger version of this figure, please click here (1.5 MB).

Scientific experimental purposes

Although many questions in science can already be answered today through the use of cell cultures, computer-aided processes, and other alternative methods, we cannot yet dispense with the use of animals for scientific purposes - including in medical research. Around 58% of the animals used in animal experiments in accordance with Section 7 Paragraph 2 TierSchG were used for basic research. Compared to 2019, the proportion of experiments for basic research increased by almost 11% in 2020. About 13% of the animals were used for research into diseases of humans and animals (Figure 3).

About 19% of the animals were used for the production and quality control of medical products or for toxicological safety tests. Around 6% of the animals used were required to maintain colonies of established genetically modified animals, around 3% less than in the previous year. Only around 1% of the animals were used for the conservation of the species in 2020, almost 6% less than in 2019. 4% was required for other purposes, such as training or higher education, the protection of the natural environment and preservation of species. No animals were used in 2020 for forensic enquiries, i.e. as part of judicial evidence or within the context of legally prescribed investigations that are intended to meet requirements outside the EU. (Explanation: Experiment according to ICH, VICH and OECD guidelines fall under regulations that meet EU requirements). Animal numbers broken down by experimental purpose are shown in Table 9 of the report.

Figure 3: Percentage breakdown of the laboratory animals used for the respective experimental purposes in 2019 and 2020. For a larger version of this figure, please click here (1.5 MB).

Animal experiments in basic research

In 2020, areas in basic research (see Table 4) included in particular studies concerning the nervous system and immune system (each approx. 17%), as well as the cardiovascular system (approx. 10%) and multi-systemic examinations (approx. 13%). These numbers have remained almost unchanged compared to the previous year.

Table 4: Animals used in basic research by experimental purpose.

Animal experiments in applied research

As in the previous year, applied research into disease focused on human cancer. About 43% of the animals used in this area were used for this purpose (Table 5). This number has remained almost unchanged compared to the previous year.

Table 5: Animals used in applied research by experimental purpose.

A detailed list of the laboratory animal numbers can be found in the detailed report on laboratory animal numbers in 2020.

An Excel-Table of the laboratory animal numbers to 2020 broken down by Federal States including the German armed forces can be downloaded here (118.6 KB).

Review: Animal experiment figures from 2009 to 2019

The website of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), which was responsible for the publication of the data at that time, provides a presentation of the use of animal experiments from 2009 to 2019 as well as detailed comparative data.

To the animal experiment data 2009-2019

Activities to promote the 3R principle (replacement, reduction, refinement)

The Federal Republic of Germany endeavours to reduce the number of animals used in experiments. For this reason, various measures are being taken to replace animal experiments with alternative methods to animal experiments as quickly as possible. These include scientific measures implemented and funded by the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, as well as research funded by the Foundation for the Funding of Research into Alternative and Complementary Methods to Restrict Animal Experiments, various funding measures by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research to develop alternative methods to animal experiments and the annual award of the animal welfare research prize from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Background information on the collection of animal numbers

The EU Laboratory Animal Directive 2010/63/EU came into force on November 9, 2010. Its implementation in national law in 2013 also made it necessary to revise the German Laboratory Animal Reporting Regulation to include the obligation to report the use of laboratory animals. Since then, the use of cephalopods (e.g. squids and octopuses) and vertebrate larvae, as well as genetically modified animal breeding have to be also reported. In addition, the severity of the overall pain, suffering or harm (non-recovery of vital functions, mild, moderate, severe) to which the animals are exposed as a result of their use must be reported. Recording of animal use in experiments was undertaken for the first time in 2014 to comply with the new requirements.

Since 2021, the European Commission has been maintained a searchable and freely accessible database on laboratory animal statistics (see Article 54 of the EU Laboratory Animal Directive 2010/63/EU). The ALURES-Database contains statistical data on the annual use of laboratory animals within the European Union. An explanatory video is also provided there that contains detailed instructions on how to use the database.

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