Demand under the Ban - China Ivory Consumption Research Post-Ban 2018 Report

The report finds that the ivory ban significantly reduced claimed ivory purchases and future purchase intentions in China, particularly in 'Layer 3' cities. While a large segment of 'Ban Influenced Citizens' shifted to 'Rejectors,' a persistent group of 'Diehard Buyers' and 'Regular Overseas Travelers' continue to seek ivory, often through retail stores in China or during trips to destinations like Thailand. Awareness of the ban is primarily driven by online news portals, and the ban is widely perceived as a 'game changer' that offers hope for elephants.

• The implementation of the ivory ban led to a significant decline in claimed ivory purchases. The percentage of respondents who bought ivory in the past 12 months dropped from 31% in the pre-ban survey to 14% in the post-ban survey, while those who bought ivory in the past 6 months (January–June 2018) fell from 26% to 12%.
• Consumer segments shifted substantially following the ban. The 'Rejectors' segment grew from 50% to 72% of the total sample, largely because 'Ban Influenced Citizens' shifted into this group. Conversely, 'Diehard Buyers' remained the most persistent segment, representing 14% of the general population.
• The decline in ivory purchase was most pronounced in 'Layer 3' cities, reversing a previous trend where ivory purchase appeared to be shifting from Layer 1 to Layer 3 cities. In the post-ban period, purchase incidence became lower in Layer 3 cities compared to other layers.
• Regular overseas travelers are identified as the most persistent buyers, maintaining a similar Ivory Purchase Index score and purchase behavior before and after the ban. This group frequently purchases ivory during short-term trips outside Mainland China, with Thailand reported as the top destination.
• Physical retail stores in China remain the primary purchase channel for those who bought ivory in 2018, used by 66% of buyers. Other increasing channels include overseas purchases during short-term trips and purchases from private individuals, while online channels saw a decrease in use.
• Awareness of the ivory ban is primarily driven by online channels, with news portals (40%), social media (32%), and mobile news apps (31%) being the top sources. Spontaneous awareness of the ban increased, particularly in Layer 1 cities and among Rejectors.
• The ban is widely perceived as a powerful 'game changer.' Approximately 87% of respondents believe it offers hope for elephants, 85% believe buying ivory is shameful because it is banned, and 82% support strong penalties for buyers.
• Publicity campaigns featuring celebrities Yao Ming and Li Bingbing were the most memorable, with the slogan 'When the buying stops, the killing can too' being the most spontaneously recalled element. The image of a poached elephant was the most impressive visual element across both campaigns.
• Millennials (aged 18-30) show a higher persistence in ivory demand compared to other age groups; one in three still intend to purchase ivory in the future, and their purchase rates did not decline as sharply as those of older demographics.

APA

Meijer, W., Scheer, S., Whan, E., Yang, C., & Kritski, D. E. (2018). Demand under the Ban - China Ivory Consumption Research Post-Ban 2018 Report. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/511/1v4c33ns3x_Demand_under_the_Ban___China_Ivory_Consumption_Research_Post_Ban_2018.pdf

Chicago

Meijer, Wander, Sylvie Scheer, Eric Whan, Crystal Yang, and Dr. Eugene Kritski. Demand under the Ban - China Ivory Consumption Research Post-Ban 2018 Report. WWF International, 2018. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/511/1v4c33ns3x_Demand_under_the_Ban___China_Ivory_Consumption_Research_Post_Ban_2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Meijer |first1=Wander |last2=Scheer |first2=Sylvie |last3=Whan |first3=Eric |last4=Yang |first4=Crystal |last5=Kritski |first5=Dr. Eugene |title=Demand under the Ban - China Ivory Consumption Research Post-Ban 2018 Report |publisher=WWF International |date=September 2018 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/511/1v4c33ns3x_Demand_under_the_Ban___China_Ivory_Consumption_Research_Post_Ban_2018.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{meijer2018demand, author = {Meijer, Wander and Scheer, Sylvie and Whan, Eric and Yang, Crystal and Kritski, Dr. Eugene}, title = {{Demand under the Ban - China Ivory Consumption Research Post-Ban 2018 Report}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/511/1v4c33ns3x_Demand_under_the_Ban___China_Ivory_Consumption_Research_Post_Ban_2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }