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Use of Laboratory Animals in 2022

Every year, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) fulfils a legal obligation to request and compile data from the competent authorities of the federal states of Germany on the use of laboratory animals in facilities located in the respective states. The compiled dataset on the use of laboratory animals in all of Germany is then submitted by the BfR to the European Commission.

The number of laboratory animals used in 2022 again declined compared to previous years.

Alongside figures about the use of animals in experiments, annual data on the numbers of animals killed for scientific use of their organs and tissue for scientific purposes are also collected in Germany. The number of laboratory animals killed but not used has also been recorded since 2021. These two sets of figures are submitted to the European Commission every five years. The figures have already been submitted for the 2022 reporting year.

Detailed explanation of the data collected:

Total number of animals used in 2022

In 2022, almost 1.73 million vertebrates and cephalopods were used in animal experiments in Germany, in accordance with section 7(2) of the German Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG). The numbers have decreased by around 7 % compared with 2021 (just under 1.86 million animals used for experiments). When reporting the animals used, a distinction is made between animals used for the first time and animals that are re-used (see Table 1). First-time use means that the animals had not been used in an experimental project and are being reported for the first time. Re-use indicates that an animal had been previously used in an experimental project and has already been included in a report, after which it was re-used in another experimental project. In Table 21 of the detailed report, the numbers of first-time use and re-used animals are broken down by species.

In addition to the requirements of the EU Laboratory Animal Directive 2010/63/EU, data is also collected in Germany on animals that have been killed for scientific purposes (TierSchG section 4(3)) without prior interventions or treatments – such as when using organs or tissue from these animals for scientific purposes (see Table 1). In comparison with 2021, this figure has risen by nearly 11 %. A detailed list of the animals killed for scientific purposes by species can be found in Table 47 of the report. The number of animals used in experiments and the number of animals killed for scientific purposes totals around 2.4 million usages of laboratory animals for the year 2022. This represents an overall decline of around 2.6 % compared with 2021.

Beginning in the 2021 reporting year, data is now also collected in Germany on the animals that are bred for animal experiments or for the use of their organs or tissue for scientific purposes, but which were subsequently killed without being used for such purposes (see Table 1). These animals include the offspring of genetically modified lines, for example, where the animals do not exhibit the required genetic changes and could not then be used for any other scientific purpose. This category also includes laboratory animals killed for the purpose of monitoring breeding colony hygiene, for example. The category also includes animals that could not be used in research for other reasons – because the animals were too old, for example, or did not have the right sex as required for the specific experiment.

Around 1.77 million not used and killed animals were reported in the 2022 reporting year. This is a significant decrease of almost 31 % compared to 2021 (around 2.55 million). A detailed list of the unused animals killed by species can be found in Table 48 of the report. The collection of these data results from an amendment to the Laboratory Animal Reporting Ordinance, which entered into force in August 2021. Since then, Germany has been collecting data on unused and killed laboratory animals on an annual basis, therefore going beyond the requirements of the European Commission, which only requires to survey these numbers for EU-wide publication every five years. The most recent publication of this data by the European Commission was in 2020 and contained the data for the 2017 reporting year (EU report). The current data for Germany for the 2022 reporting year has already been submitted to the European Commission and will be included in the European Commission’s next report. With its decision to publish these figures on an annual basis, Germany seeks to ensure the greatest possible transparency in addressing the topic of animal experiments and is therefore assuming a leading role within the EU.

Table 1: Total number of laboratory animals used in research, as well as animals killed for scientific purposes or animals killed and not used in 2021 and 2022

¹⁾ Animal experiments pursuant to TierSchG section 7(2)
²⁾ Animals killed for the sole reason of using their organs or tissue for scientific purposes (pursuant to TierSchG section 4(3))
³⁾ Animals bred for scientific purposes that were killed without being used for such purposes (pursuant to Section 1 Para. 1, Sent. 1, No. 1a of the German Laboratory Animal Reporting Ordinance (VersTierMeldV)). Figures for these animals were first collected as part of annual laboratory animal reporting in the 2021 reporting year.

Animal species used

Overall, the numbers for animals that were used in experiments in 2022 have decreased compared with the previous year (Figure 1 and Table 2). However, only small changes were observed in terms of percentages. About 79 % of the laboratory animals used were rodents, mainly mice and rats. Mice make up about 72 % and rats about 6 % of the animals used. The proportion of mice remained the same in 2022 as the previous year, whereas the proportion of rats fell by around 1 %. As in the previous year, fish (zebra fish and other fish species) are the second most frequently used laboratory animal species at 12 %. The proportion of rabbits (approx. 4 %) has increased by less than 1 % compared to 2021. The proportion of birds (domestic fowl and other bird species) has remained almost the same at around 2 % compared to the previous year. In contrast to the two previous years, there was an increase in animal experiments involving monkeys and prosimians (see below for more precise figures). The proportion of other laboratory animals is around 4 % and therefore also slightly lower than the previous year’s figure. The exact numbers for 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 animal species used in animal experiments in 2022 (pursuant to TierSchG section 7(2)). For a larger version of this image, please click here (1.5 MB).

Table 2: Comparison of the numbers and proportions of animals used in animal experiments in 2021 and 2022 pursuant to TierSchG Section 7 Para. 2.

 


Figure 2: Numbers and proportions of animals killed for scientific purposes in 2022 (pursuant to TierSchG section 4(3)). For a larger version of this image, please click here (1.5 MB).

Mice (87 %) and rats (7 %) account for the vast majority of animals killed for scientific purposes (see figure 2). The third and fourth places in this ranking are occupied by fish (around 5 %) and birds (around 1 %). Rabbits and other animal species together account for less than 1 % of animals used. A detailed breakdown (by species) of animals killed pursuant to TierSchG Section 4 Para. 3 can be found in Table 47 of the report.

Figure 3: Numbers and proportions of animals killed and not used in 2022 (pursuant to VersTierMeldV Section 1 Para. 1, Sent. 1, No. 1a). For a larger version of this image, please click here (1.5 MB).

Figure 3 presents the proportions of animal species for animals bred for scientific purposes and killed without being used for these purposes. Once again, mice make up the greatest proportion, at just under 85 %. Fish form the second largest group, at around 12 %. Rats and xenopus follow in third and fourth place with just over 1 % each. Rabbits, birds and other animal species together account for less than 1 %. A detailed breakdown (by species) of animals killed for other reasons can be found in Table 48 in the report.

Use of monkeys and prosimians

In 2022, the number of monkeys and prosimians used in animal experiments increased significantly by comparison, following the sharp decline observed in the two previous years (2020 and 2021). In 2022, a total of 2,204 animal uses with monkeys and prosimians were reported, therefore 17 % more than 2021 (1,886 uses). In monkeys and prosimians, the proportion of re-used animals is very high compared with other animal species (approx. 10 % re-use compared with approx. 1-3 % in mice and rats (see Table 21 in the report)). At 1,978 animals, the number of first-use monkeys and prosimians recorded for 2022 is therefore lower than the number of animal uses reported (2,204). Monkeys are mainly used for regulatory purposes, for example, for authorising medicinal products for human use. Great apes were last used for scientific purposes in Germany in 1991.

Use of dogs and cats

The use of dogs and cats include legally required experiments and applied research. In the 2022 reporting year, 2,873 dogs were reported as used in experiments, 8 % more than in 2021 (2,657 uses). In contrast, the number of cats used in experiments fell significantly by around 38 % compared to the previous year (2021: 862 uses). The annual number of dogs and cats used in experiments fluctuates comparatively strongly year-on-year. However, looking at the last five years, it can be said that number in 2022 was below the average of the last five years for both dogs and cats. In dogs and cats, the proportion of re-used animals is also very high at 50 % (dogs) and 60 % (cats) (see Table 21 in the report). For this reason, the number of animals recorded for the first time is also significantly lower than the number of animals used in experiments. In 2022, 1,440 dogs and 214 cats were registered for the first time in Germany.

Use of fish (zebrafish and other fish species) 

In 2022, 212,371 fish were used in animal experiments pursuant to TierSchG Section 7 Para. 2. The figure for these animals has therefore decreased slightly compared to the previous year (226,094 uses).

Use of genetically modified animals

Compared with the 2021 reporting year, the absolute number of genetically modified laboratory animals decreased in 2022 (see Table 3). Overall, 918,276 genetically modified animals were used in experiments – around 35,000 fewer than in the previous year (952,837 animals). However, the proportion of genetically modified animals of the total number of animals increased to 53.2 % in 2022 compared to the previous year (51.2 %). This means that more genetically modified animals were used than non-genetically modified animals, as was already the case in 2021. The proportion of modified animals with and without a pathological phenotype remained almost the same compared to the previous year; roughly one in five genetically modified animals exhibited characteristics detrimental to the animal’s well-being (see Table 3). Mice (85 %) and zebra fish (14 %) account for almost all of this category (see Table 20 in the report for a more detailed breakdown).

Severity of the experiments

Most of the animal experiments conducted in 2022 were categorised as causing mild pain, suffering, or harm (66.3 % of animals used experiments). This proportion has increased by 3 % compared to the 2021 reporting year (63.2 % in 2021). At 25.4 %, the proportion of experiments with moderate severity fell by around 1 %, as did the proportion of experiments where animals experienced a severe impact on their well-being, which was lower than in previous years at 3.6 % (figure 4). The proportion of animals used in experiments that were carried out under general anaesthesia from which the animals did not wake up (non-recovery), also fell by almost 2 % from 6.4 % in 2021 to 4.7 % in 2022. Tables 22-34 of the report present detailed lists of severities by experimental purpose and species used.

Figure 4: Severity of the experiments carried out in 2022 in accordance with Section 7 Para. 2 TierSchG, shown according to numbers of animals and proportions. For a larger version of this image, please click here (1.5 MB).The corresponding figures for 2021 can be viewed here. 

Scientific experimental purposes

Although many questions in science can now be answered by utilising cell cultures, organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems, computerised processes and other alternative methods, we cannot yet dispense with the use of animals for scientific purposes – including their use in medical research. Around 55 % of animal experiments related to basic research. Compared with the figure for 2021, the proportion of laboratory animals used in basic research did not change significantly. About 14 % of the animals were used as part of research into human and animal diseases (Figure 5).

Roughly 16 % of the animals were used as part of production and quality control processes for medical products or for toxicological safety testing. Around 11 % of the animals were required to maintain colonies of established, genetically modified animals and could not be utilised in other experiments. Other experimental purposes, such as to maintain or protect species, for educational purposes or training of vocational skills, or to protect the natural environment, made up around 4 % of all experiments. A detailed presentation of animal numbers broken down by individual experimental purpose is given in Table 9 in the report.

Figure 5: Percentage breakdown of the laboratory animals used for the respective experimental purposes in 2021 and 2022. For a larger version of this image, please click here (1.5 MB).

Animal experiments in basic research

In 2022, investigations conducted into the nervous system (21 %), the immune system (19 %), the cardiovascular system (13 %) and in fields affecting multiple organ systems (multi-systemic, around 12 %) accounted for the majority of experiments conducted in basic research. These numbers have remained virtually unchanged year-on-year (see Table 4).

Table 4: Laboratory animals used in basic research in 2022, by experimental purpose. 

Animal experiments in translational and applied research

As in the previous year, applied research into disease in 2022 focused on cancers in humans. About 42 % of the animals used in applied research were used in this field (see Table 5). This number has remained almost unchanged compared to the previous year. The proportion of laboratory animals used in research into human nervous and mental disorders also remained stable at around 12 %. Conversely, there were changes in research on musculoskeletal disorders in humans. Here, the number of laboratory animals and the proportion doubled from a low 0.8 % in 2021 to 1.7 % in 2022. The category of animal nutrition, which was newly introduced in the 2021 reporting year, fell at the same time from over 5 % in 2021 to just 1.8 % of experiments in 2022 within translational and applied research. There were only minor changes in the other categories (see report).

Table 5: Laboratory animals used in translational and applied research in 2022, by experimental purpose. 

A detailed list of laboratory animal numbers can be found in the detailed report on laboratory animal numbers in 2022. The numbers for 2022 broken down by the German Federal States and the Federal Ministry of Defence can be found here.

Review: Animal experiment figures from 2009 to 2020

The BfR first published data collected in accordance with laboratory animal reporting in 2020. The reported figures can be accessed here.

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 animals in animal experiments from 2009 to 2019 as well as detailed comparative data. 

Go to animal experiment 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 that are implemented and promoted by the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Measures also include research financed by the Foundation for the Funding of Research into Alternative and Complementary Methods to Restrict Animal Experiments (set), various funding measures from 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 by the BMEL. 

Background information on the collection of laboratory animal data

The EU Directive 2010/63/EU entered into force on 9 November 2010. Its transposition into national law in 2013 also necessitated a revision of the Laboratory Animal Reporting Ordinance with a broadening of reporting obligations for the use of laboratory animals. Since then, reporting is also required on the use of cephalopods (e.g. squids and octopuses) and vertebrate larvae, as well as the breeding of genetically modified animals. In addition, the severity of the overall pain, suffering or harm (non-recovery, mild, moderate, severe) to which the animals are exposed as a result of their use must also be reported. The recording of animal use in experiments in compliance with these new requirements was undertaken for the first time in 2014. On 11 August 2021, the Laboratory Animal Reporting Ordinance was amended to include a requirement to provide annual figures on the numbers of animals reared for scientific purposes and killed without being used for such purposes. Data for this figure of ‘killed and not used animals’ was first collected for the 2021 reporting year.

Since 2021, the European Commission has 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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