US Animal Testing: 2024 Lab Animal Use Decline U.S. laboratory animal use **declined in 2024** in the subset of species and facilities reported under USDA rules: 776 facilities reported **851,898 animals**, and when birds are excluded for comparability, the total was **763,026**, down from **844,915** in 2023, a nearly **10% drop**. The decline was broad-based, including fewer guinea pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, nonhuman primates, hamsters, pigs, and sheep, while the only reported increase was in the “Other animals” category.
The reporting still captures only a **partial** picture of U.S. animal research, because purpose-bred mice, rats, fish, and some birds remain excluded from USDA reporting requirements; PETA estimates that mice and rats alone number **111 million** in laboratories, and more than **775 thousand** animals were still held captive in laboratories or used in experiments in the reported category in 2024. Painful or distressing experiments without pain relief remained a major concern, with **56,601** animals in that category in the NAVS analysis.
Policy momentum is shifting toward non-animal methods: the FDA announced a plan to **phase out animal testing requirements** for monoclonal antibodies and other drugs using AI, cell-based systems, and organoids, and has begun implementation for IND applications. Humane World for Animals also reports that EPA recommitted to a plan to phase out mammal testing for chemical and pesticide tests by **2035**, indicating that federal agencies are increasingly moving toward alternative methods even as large numbers of animals are still used.
