In Context
In our recent nationally representative survey of 1,007 UK adults, we asked a number of questions about participants’ attitudes towards factory farming practices and animal welfare policy.
What We Found
The data we gathered demonstrates that the UK public is overwhelmingly in support of efforts to protect animal welfare, and opposed to practices that impede it.
Considering those who agree or strongly agree:
83%
of people support stronger regulations on how animals are raised or slaughtered.
82%
agree that UK food strategy should prioritise animal welfare.
86%
believe that local authorities should consider animal welfare impacts when considering planning applications for new large-scale livestock farms.
93%
of people believe that imported meat products should be required to meet the same standards as meat produced in the UK.
I support stronger regulations on how farmed animals are raised or slaughtered in the UK.
38%
44%
14%
The UK’s food strategy should prioritise improving animal welfare.
40%
42%
15%
Local authorities should consider animal-welfare impacts when deciding planning applications for new large-scale livestock farms.
39%
47%
11%
Imported meat should be required to meet the same standards as meat produced in the UK.
65%
28%
5%
0%25%50%75%100%
Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagree
When it comes to specific factory farming practices, public opposition is overwhelming.
After having the practices described:
91%
of people believe that current enriched cages for chickens are unacceptable.
89%
believe that farrowing crates for sows are unacceptable.
86%
support a ban on the fast-growing chicken breeds known as ‘Frankenchickens’.
75%
of people believe that farmed fish have a right to humane slaughter.
It is acceptable to keep chickens in cages with 750 cm² space (about the size of an A4 piece of paper).
5%
17%
73%
It is acceptable to keep a mother pig in a tight cage, that she cannot turn around in, for up to 10 days.
6%
16%
74%
The UK should follow countries like Norway in banning the use of “Frankenchickens” which suffer as a result of being bred to grow unnaturally fast.
48%
37%
11%
Farmed fish should have the right to humane slaughter.
41%
34%
20%
0%25%50%75%100%
Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagree
Finally, 58% of people expressed support for an outright ban on factory farming, with only 15% of people opposing it. Participants were offered a definition of factory farming as “animals raised indoors for most/all of their lives, and where many animals are kept in a small space”.
The UK should ban factory farming.
26%
32%
27%
11%
0%25%50%75%100%
Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagree
Conclusion
This data is consistent with some recent surveys on UK animal agriculture. The Vegan Society’s 2026 Empathy Index found that factory farming was unacceptable to 65% of the UK public. Social Change Lab’s UK polling for Project Slingshot found that support for a ban on factory farming increased from 55% in 2025 to 64% in 2026. Survey data consistently shows a majority of the UK public oppose factory farming, and this majority appears to be growing.
