Bullfighting inflicts severe and prolonged suffering on bulls. Despite cultural significance in some regions, bans and restrictions are spreading across Spain and Latin America.
Bullfighting welfare is among the most straightforward cases in animal ethics: the activity is designed to cause progressive suffering over an extended period, culminating in death. The bull's suffering is not incidental or regrettable - it is structural to the activity. The cultural defense of bullfighting is genuine and must be taken seriously, but it does not override the welfare evidence. The trajectory of change in Spain and Latin America suggests that changing cultural values are resolving this tension over time, with declining attendance particularly among younger generations indicating generational cultural shift. Legal bans in Catalonia and multiple Latin American jurisdictions demonstrate that policy change is achievable.