Approximately how many animals are used for research each year?

• A. 1 million
• B. 26 million
• C. 100 thousand
• D. 500 million

Answer: (B)

The number reflects the overall scale of animals used in research, testing, and education in a given year. In the United States, a widely cited estimate puts this figure around 26 million animals annually. This broad estimate includes many species, with mice and rats making up the largest portion, even though official statistics often don’t count these species in the same way. Because of reporting differences, the exact count can vary, but the mid-20s of millions is the commonly accepted ballpark for annual usage. The other options are far from this typical range: one million and one hundred thousand are too low to represent the routine activity across many institutions, and five hundred million would greatly exceed established public estimates.