Although the proportion varies from country to country, the majority of eggs in the world come from chickens raised in cramped battery cages that cause significant suffering. Many animal advocates have tried to bring these numbers down. But how supportive are consumers of these efforts? This study aimed to find out two things: how knowledgeable people are about the fact that egg-laying hens are commonly kept in cages, and whether people approve of the practice.

Researchers created an online survey consisting of 24 items related to farmed animal welfare. For this study, they concentrated on just four questions relevant to hen welfare and egg production. Respondents were asked how strongly they agreed on a scale of one to seven with the following statements:

• “It matters to me that the chickens producing eggs do not suffer.”
• “I would prefer to buy eggs from chickens that have not been kept in cages.”

Respondents were also asked whether they ate eggs, and whether they thought that most egg-laying hens in their country were kept in cages.

The survey was distributed in 14 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sudan, Thailand, the U.K., and the United States. In most countries, respondents were approached in person in public spaces by a trained data collector who asked the questions verbally and then entered the responses into the online form. Only in Brazil, the U.K., and the U.S. did respondents complete the survey entirely online themselves.

A total of 4,292 people participated, split roughly evenly between the countries. China had the fewest respondents with 249, while Pakistan had the most with 501.

The majority of respondents in all countries, except Bangladesh, agreed that it mattered to them that chickens producing eggs didn’t suffer. Overall, the average level of agreement with this statement was about 5.7 on the seven-point scale.

Additionally, the majority of respondents in all countries, except Nigeria, agreed that they would prefer to buy eggs from chickens not kept in cages. Overall, the average level of agreement with this statement was about 5.4 on the seven-point scale.

A statistical analysis found that, based on each country’s average score, respondents from Australia, Brazil, and Chile were more concerned with chicken suffering and more strongly preferred buying cage-free eggs than respondents from other countries.

The vast majority of respondents in all countries — over 90% in most places except Australia and India — reported eating eggs. However, whether someone ate eggs didn’t reliably predict their level of concern for hen welfare or preference for cage-free eggs.

Finally, the majority of respondents thought that egg-laying hens in their country were kept in cages. At the time the article was written, this was true for every country included in the study except for Australia and the United Kingdom.

For advocates, the researchers highlight three insights from the survey. First, there’s considerable global agreement that chicken welfare matters and consumer preference for eggs from chickens raised in better conditions.

Second, despite this agreement, there’s some cultural variation. For instance, over three-quarters (78%) of respondents in Nigeria agreed that chickens shouldn’t suffer, but less than one-third (32%) said they preferred cage-free eggs. The researchers speculate that some people may actually view cage-based systems as superior from a welfare perspective because they allow for “uniform management of flock health.” Additionally, in countries like Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Sudan, where eggs are expensive because they’re not abundantly available, people may prefer caged eggs because they’re thought to be cheaper.

Third, while battery cages are being phased out in Australia and already banned in the U.K., most respondents from these countries thought that most eggs came from caged hens. However, these respondents also tended to be more uncertain than in other countries — they had the highest percentages of “don’t know” responses (31% in Australia and 33% in the U.K.). This result may indicate a lag in consumer awareness and could present an opportunity for advocates to continue emphasizing the importance of cage-free systems and pushing for better product labeling.