Statistics from Switzerland's Federal Veterinary Office report results on the usage of animals in laboratory testing in 2000 that fall in line with Home Office returns in the UK. (The labs of many big pharmaceutical and food firms are in Switzerland).

The total number has fallen for the 17th consecutive time: 423,127 animals were recorded in the statistics for the year 2000, which is a 79% drop since 1983. A quarter of that total was used in secondary schools (which is different from UK usage) and hospitals, and two-thirds in industry. No animal testing for cosmetics and household materials was conducted in 2000.

90% of animals used in all authorized tests were rodents. The reduction in procedures was countervailed in mice; an increase of genetically modified mice rose by 7% in 2000 to reach 59,100.

Stress burdens were slightly reduced as labs reported 5.3% of the animals undergoing heavy stress (such as transmission of fatal disease with severe symptoms for vaccine quality assurance and development of new drugs, as in the LD50 and ED50 procedures). This represents a fall from 7.1% the year before. 24.5% of the experimental animals underwent mid-range stress, against 24.9% the year before. 70.2% of the animals were said to have been placed under minimal or no stress.

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