Global Animal Welfare: A Synthesis of Progress and Priorities

An evidence-based synthesis of global animal welfare progress, identifying the most impactful areas for intervention across farm, wild, and companion animal populations.

Key Facts

An estimated 80 billion land animals are farmed each year globally, with over 70% raised in intensive conditions.
Wild animal populations have declined by an average of 69% since 1970, with habitat loss as the primary driver.
Fish welfare research has grown substantially since 2010, with over 300 peer-reviewed studies confirming fish sentience.
The global farmed fish population exceeds that of all land-farmed animals combined, yet receives a fraction of welfare attention.
Insect farming is projected to grow to 1.5 million tonnes of production annually by 2030, raising novel welfare questions.
Effective altruism researchers estimate that improving broiler chicken welfare alone could benefit over 40 billion birds annually.
Over 100 countries now have some form of animal welfare legislation, yet enforcement capacity varies enormously.

Welfare Considerations

Progress in global animal welfare has been uneven: farm animal protections have grown in Europe and parts of North America, while the majority of farmed animals worldwide live under minimal regulatory protection. The most pressing welfare interventions — by scale and tractability — include broiler chicken welfare improvements, farmed fish stunning before slaughter, and eliminating gestation crates for pigs. Wild animal welfare, while affecting far more individuals, remains underfunded and conceptually contested. Insect welfare represents a rapidly growing frontier. Prioritizing interventions by the number of animals affected, the severity of suffering, and the tractability of solutions offers the best path to meaningful global improvement.

What You Can Do

Support evidence-based animal welfare organizations focusing on the highest-impact species and interventions.
Advocate for stronger international welfare standards through trade agreements and consumer pressure.
Reduce consumption of animal products, particularly those from species with the highest welfare deficits.
Support welfare science funding at universities and research institutions.
Engage policymakers to prioritize enforcement alongside animal welfare legislation.