August 24th, 2020, Connor Ibbetson
Older Britons from lower income households are the most likely to think positively of the animal rights charity
PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is a charity steeped in controversy due to its hard-line campaigning for animal rights around the world.
As such, the charity can be quite divisive - so how do Brits feel about it? Overall, Brits are more likely to have a positive impression of the charity (31%) than negative (17%). But a third (33%) have never heard of the organisation.
If we rebase the statistics for only Brits who have heard of PETA, 46% have a positive opinion, and 25% negative. YouGov Profiles shows that young males, specifically those aged between 18 and 24, are most likely to feel negatively about PETA, accounting for 19%.
YouGov Profiles also shows that older women are the most likely to feel positively, with 17% of those who feel positive about the group overall being women over the age of 55.
There is also a difference between households of different incomes. Homes with higher incomes are more likely to view PETA in a negative light compared to lower-income homes. For example, homes with incomes between £15,000 and £29,999 make up 27% of Brits who feel positively about the charity.
On the other hand, homes with incomes over £50,000 make up 26% of those who feel negatively about the charity. Around 1 in 6 (18%) of those with a negative view of PETA are from homes with incomes over £50,000, despite this income group making up 19% of households in the UK.
Those who view PETA in a positive light are also more likely to be charitable, YouGov Profiles shows. Two fifths (41%) of those with a positive view of PETA say they have donated to a charity shop in the last three months, compared to just 20% of those with a negative view.
Positive PETA viewers are also more likely to have purchased from a charity shop in the last three months (32%) when compared to those who have a negative view (19%).
Those with a negative view are more likely (36%) to say they haven’t interacted with a charity in the last three months than those with a positive view (31%).