Global Animal Welfare Progress: Evidence and Trends

Tracking global animal welfare progress reveals both meaningful improvements and persistent large-scale welfare failures, informing strategic priorities for effective advocacy.

Key Facts

Over 500 companies covering 90% of US broiler market have signed the Better Chicken Commitment
Cage-free egg commitments from major food companies have driven significant expansion of cage-free production
Gestation crate bans are implemented or in process in over 10 US states and across the EU
The Sentience Institute estimates that less than 1% of US farm animals live in conditions meeting basic welfare standards
Global meat consumption continues to rise despite welfare improvements in some markets and species
The economic cost of welfare improvements is consistently lower than predicted by industry groups opposing reform
Corporate welfare commitments have varying implementation rates with significant gaps between commitment and delivery
Effective altruism for animals movement has directed increasing resources toward highest-impact welfare interventions

Welfare Considerations

Evidence-based assessment of global animal welfare progress reveals a mixed picture of genuine improvements in some areas and persistent large-scale suffering in others. Corporate commitments on cage-free eggs and better broiler welfare represent meaningful progress driven by coordinated advocacy. However, the scale of animals experiencing significant welfare compromise remains enormous, with over 70 billion land animals raised annually in intensive systems. Strategic prioritization of advocacy toward highest-impact interventions — those addressing the most animals for the least cost — is essential for maximizing welfare improvement. The effective animal advocacy movement is increasingly applying evidence-based principles to identify and fund the most impactful interventions.

What You Can Do

Support animal welfare organizations rated highly by Animal Charity Evaluators for cost-effective impact
Follow evidence-based animal advocacy organizations including Rethink Priorities for research-guided strategy
Engage with corporate animal welfare campaigns that target the highest-volume welfare improvements
Reduce consumption of animal products from intensive systems to reduce demand for welfare-compromising production
Share evidence-based animal welfare information to build public support for meaningful policy and market change
Support effective animal advocacy funding through strategic giving informed by welfare impact research