Statistics on animal testing in Germany
In Germany, the number of animals used for scientific purposes in 2024 fell again compared to the previous year. At a total of 1.95 million, it was more than eight percent lower.
This figure also includes 626,538 animals that were killed for the purpose of harvesting cells or tissues without being used in experiments – for example, for cell cultures or tissue analyses in cancer research, immunology, or the neurosciences.
Statistics on animal testing at LMU and the University Hospital
Number of animals
In 2025, a total of 30,580 animals were used in animal experiments at LMU and the University Hospital. Mice accounted for 92.1 percent of these experimental animals, representing the overwhelming majority.
| Animal species | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Mice | 28,150 | 92.2% |
| Other rodents | 795 | 2.6% |
| Farm animals | 291 | 1.0% |
| Birds | 1,105 | 3.5% |
| Other | 139 | 0.5% |
For experimental purposes
As a university, LMU and the hospital primarily conduct basic research experiments. However, animals are also used in training – whether for veterinary students, researchers, or medical and veterinary staff. For example, doctors first practice particularly complex procedures on animals before performing them on patients at the hospital.
| Purpose | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Research | 25,227 | 82.5% |
| Translation | 2,817 | 9.2% |
| Education | 1,804 | 5.9% |
| Required by law (e.g., safety and efficacy trials of new drugs) | 366 | 1.2% |
| Environment (e.g., ecotoxicological effects on wildlife) | 269 | 0.9% |
| Breed Conservation | 97 | 0.3% |
Distress
Of the total of 30,580 animals used in experiments at LMU and the University Hospital in 2025, more than half experienced no more than minor distress. Under the legal definition, this category also includes all animals that underwent surgical procedures, even if they received consistent post-operative pain management. Only 1.4 percent of the animals experienced severe distress, placing LMU and the University Hospital well below the national average of 3.6 percent recorded in 2024.
Nearly 10 percent of the animals were euthanized while still under anesthesia – typically through an increased dose of anesthetic agents – and therefore did not experience any conscious distress from the actual experiments.
| Degree of stress | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 15,337 | 50.2% |
| Medium | 11,891 | 38.9% |
| Heavy | 422 | 1.4% |
| Euthanized while still under anesthesia | 2,930 | 9.6% |
Number of animals killed for scientific purposes
In addition to the animals used in 2025 at LMU and the University Hospital (Section 7 of the Animal Protection Act), nearly 29,000 animals were killed for scientific purposes during the same period.
These are experiments in which studies are conducted on the cells and tissues of animals without any manipulation of the animals other than euthanasia.
| Animal species | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Mice | 28,241 | 97.5% |
| Other rodents | 313 | 1.1% |
| Farm animals | 49 | 0.2% |
| Birds | 136 | 0.5% |
| Other | 235 | 0.8% |