What are laboratory animals used for?

The table below presents which animals that are used in Denmark and the purpose of the experiments in which they are used. The table shows precise numbers as a permit is required from the Animal Experiments Inspectorate to perform any experiments including Animals.

Purpose and number of uses (Denmark 2022)

Species and purpose
Purpose	Number of uses
Basic Research	70.955
Translational and applied research	126.824
Regulatory use and Routine production	14.264
Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	6.179
Preservation of species	605
Higher education	2.650
Training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	1.128
Forensic enquiries	15
Total	222.620

Purpose and number of uses (Denmark 2021)

Species and purpose
Purpose	Number of uses
Basic Research	77.027
Translational and applied research	115.612
Regulatory use and Routine production	14.733
Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the heakth or welfare of human beings or animals	2.783
Preservation of species	1.167
Higher education	2.526
Training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	1.571
Forensic enquiries	38
Total	215.457

Species and purpose (Denmark 2020)

Species and purpose
Species	Basic Research	Translational and applied research	Regulatory use and Routine production	Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	Preservation of species	Higher education or training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	Maintenance of colonies of established genetically altered animals, not used in other procedures
Mice	59.864	74.323	13.802	0	46	1.483	7.187
Rats	7.785	21.383	2.988	0	0	1.193	0
Guinea-Pigs	113	270	1.846	0	0	20	0
Hamsters (Syrian)	0	102	3	0	0	6	0
Other rodets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rabbits	116	1.334	873	0	0	21	0
Cats	0	6	0	0	0	0	0
Dogs	4	466	115	0	0	4	0
Ferrets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other carnivores	0	6.125	0	3	0	0	0
Horses, donkeys & cross-breeds	11	0	3	0	0	2	0
Pigs	1.675	3.216	788	2.170	0	967	0
Goats	27	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sheep	47	0	7	0	0	13	0
Cattle	329	28	0	264	0	122	0
Other Mammals	27	0	0	0	9	0	0
Domestic fowl	81	540	0	0	0	0	0
Other birds	367	33	1	0	0	0	0
Reptiles	24	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rana	792	0	0	0	0	0	0
Xenopus	390	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other Amphibians	16	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zebra fish	8.539	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other Fish	4.147	34.182	0	594	858	0	0
Cephalopods	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	84.354	142.008	20.426	3.031	913	3.831	7.187

Species and purpose (Denmark 2019)

Species and purpose
Species	Basic Research	Translational and applied research	Regulatory use and Routine production	Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	Preservation of species	Higher education or training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	Maintenance of colonies of established genetically altered animals, not used in other procedures
Mice	70.124	77.834	12.334	0	0	1.364	6.043
Rats	9.694	23.825	2.875	0	0	1.383	0
Guinea-Pigs	498	492	2.923	0	0	0	0
Hamsters (Syrian)	0	0	6	0	0	0	0
Other rodets	23	10	0	0	0	0	0
Rabbits	73	1.709	488	0	0	34	0
Cats	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Dogs	76	181	122	0	0	0	0
Ferrets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other carnivores	3.811	32	0	0	0	0	0
Horses, donkeys & cross-breeds	35	9	2	0	0	5	0
Pigs	3.260	3.130	780	279	0	1.194	0
Goats	0	51	0	0	0	0	0
Sheep	9	0	4	0	0	5	0
Cattle	187	110	3	740	0	145	0
Other Mammals	31	10	0	1	0	0	0
Domestic fowl	68	1.175	12	0	0	14	0
Other birds	37	13	0	349	40	0	0
Reptiles	45	8	0	0	0	0	0
Rana	452	0	0	0	0	0	0
Xenopus	391	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other Amphibians	72	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zebra fish	4.391	0	266	0	0	0	0
Other Fish	714	18.533	1.026	3.561	908	0	0
Cephalopods	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	93.991	127.123	20.841	4.930	948	4.441	6.043

Species and purpose (Denmark 2018)

Species and purpose
Species	Basic Research	Translational and applied research	Regulatory use and Routine production	Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	Preservation of species	Higher education or training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	Maintenance of colonies of established genetically altered animals, not used in other procedures
Mice	81.952	76.792	16.758	0	5	2.285	179
Rats	8.748	24.337	2.765	0	0	1.430	0
Guinea-Pigs	162	318	2.179	0	0	0	0
Hamsters (Syrian)	0	237	55	0	0	0	0
Other rodets	13		0	0	0	0	0
Rabbits	56	2.646	397	0	0	17	0
Cats	0	3	0	0	0	0	0
Dogs	128	119	122	0	0	1	0
Ferrets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other carnivores	2.809	538	0	0	0	0	0
Horses, donkeys & cross-breeds	20	148	4	0	0	9	0
Pigs	1.618	3.456	1.291	0	5	1.273	0
Goats	0	13	0	0	0	0	0
Sheep	61	0	14	0	0	3	0
Cattle	502	271	2	1.110	0	114	0
Other Mammals	18	10	0	1	0	0	0
Domestic fowl	697	1.586	0	0	0	0	0
Other birds	66	0	4	343	146	0	0
Reptiles	37	118	0	0	0	0	0
Rana	809	0	0	0	0	0	0
Xenopus	1.389	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other Amphibians	94	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zebra fish	2.614	0	63	0	0	0	0
Other Fish	3.862	6.524	571	144	787	0	0
Cephalopods	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	105.655	117.116	24.225	1.598	943	5.132	179

Species and purpose (Denmark 2017)

Species and purpose
Species	Basic Research	Translational and applied research	Regulatory use and Routine production	Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	Preservation of species	Higher education or training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	Forensic enquiries	Maintenance of colonies of established genetically altered animals, not used in other procedures
Mice	63.603	87.134	11.451	0	0	1.920	0	29
Rats	11.527	24.001	1.813		0	1.157	0	0
Guinea-Pigs	242	338	2.359	0	0	8	0	0
Hamsters (Syrian)	0	279	3	0	0	0	0	0
Other rodets	3		0	0	0	0	0	0
Rabbits	57	1.862	187	326	0	11	0	0
Cats	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dogs	118	52	39	0	0	5	0	0
Ferrets	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other carnivores	580	455	0	0	0	0	0	0
Horses, donkeys & cross-breeds	46	57	0	4	0	12	0	0
Pigs	2.236	1.551	816	0	0	1.184	16	0
Goats	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sheep	36	15	0	6	0	9	0	0
Cattle	995	563	0	2.042	0	77	0	0
Other Mammals	28	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Domestic fowl	0	466	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other birds	43		0	329	36	0	0	0
Reptiles	257	32	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rana	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Xenopus	75	0	210	0	0	0	0	0
Other Amphibians	47	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zebra fish	400	0	1.187	0	0	0	0	0
Other Fish	2.617	5.340	1.800	168	5.601	80	0	0
Cephalopods	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	82.918	122.146	19.865	2.875	5.637	4.463	16	29

Species and purpose (Denmark 2016)

Species and purpose
Species	Basic Research	Translational and applied research	Regulatory use and Routine production	Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	Preservation of species	Higher education or training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	Forensic enquiries
Mice	60.503	79.736	12.336	591	0	2.125	0
Rats	11.374	32.181	1.651	14	0	1.462	0
Guinea-Pigs	153	577	2.326	0	0	0	0
Hamsters (Syrian)	0	52	80	0	0	20	0
Other rodets	4		0	0	0	0	0
Rabbits	70	1.933	112	196	0	14	0
Cats	18	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dogs	25	102	136	0	0	3	0
Ferrets	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
Other carnivores	387	192	0	0	0	0	0
Horses, donkeys & cross-breeds	22	270	0	2	0	25	0
Pigs	3.306	2.770	361	0	0	1.493	40
Goats	0	6	0	0	0	0	0
Sheep	24		0	2	0	11	0
Cattle	232	128	2	1.650	0	98	0
Other Mammals	55	0	0	0	0	0	0
Domestic fowl	122	1.558	0	0	0	52	0
Other birds	36		0	337	0	0	0
Reptiles	262	0	0	0	0	0	0
Xenopus	56	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other Amphibians	30	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zebra fish	250	0	3.058	0	0	0	0
Other Fish	26.883	18.663	1.470	0	1.491	84	0
Cephalopods	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	103.812	138.170	21.532	2.792	1.491	5.387	40

Species and purpose (Denmark 2015)

Species and purpose
Species	Basic Research	Translational and applied research	Regulatory use and Routine production	Protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals	Preservation of species	Higher education or training for the acquisition, maintenance or improvement of vocational skills	Maintenance of colonies of established genetically altered animals, not used in other procedures
Mice	62.081	78.054	13.120	5	0	2.430	3
Rats	11.599	31.522	3.810	0	0	1.701	0
Guinea-Pigs	235	390	1.982	0	0	36	0
Hamsters (Syrian)	0	160	12	0	0	0	0
Gerbils	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other rodets	14	72	0	0	0	0	0
Rabbits	8	1.306	114	232	0	8	0
Cats	59	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dogs	24	84	32	0	0	34	0
Ferrets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other carnivores	480	392	0	0	14	0	0
Horses, donkeys & cross-breeds	16	87	0	1	0	16	0
Pigs	5.722	2.348	604	193	0	1.712	0
Goats	0	11	0	0	0	0	0
Sheep	22	15	0	4	0	6	0
Cattle	45	413	2	3	0	92	0
Other Mammals	38	0	0	0	0	0	0
Domestic fowl	81	582	0	1.724	0	20	0
Other birds	34	26	0	378	0	0	0
Reptiles	265	0	0	0	0	0
Rana	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Xenopus	64	0	0	0	0	0
Other Amphibians	26	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zebra fish	300	0	2.230	0	0	0	0
Other Fish	7.831	7.977	1.050	120	244	96	0
Cephalopods	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	88.944	123.439	22.956	2.660	258	6.151	3