Share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems in Belgium

Belgium: Share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems was 66.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
66.0%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
13th
of 29 countries
All-time high
66.0%
in 2024
All-time low
19.9%
in 2011
Years of data
13
2011–2024

Share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems in Belgium, 2011–2024

2030405060702011201720242011: 19.9 %2012: 34.7 %2013: 39.4 %2014: 39.4 %2016: 50 %2017: 60.7 %2018: 63.3 %2019: 62.8 %2020: 62.8 %2021: 63.8 %2022: 63 %2023: 65.3 %2024: 66 %

Source: European Commission (2026) and other sources – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Belgium recorded 66.0% for share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems in 2024. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 67.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems in Belgium peaked at 66.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.9%, in 2011.

That places Belgium 13th out of 29 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 46.3% 19.9% 63.3% 8
2020s 64.2% 62.8% 66.0% 5

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 11 France 69.9% compare
  2. 12 Italy 66.8% compare
  3. 14 Romania 58.2% compare
  4. 15 Croatia 58.0% compare
  5. 16 Czechia 57.2% compare

See the full ranking of 29 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems in Belgium?
Share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems in Belgium was 66.0% in 2024, according to European Commission (2026) and other sources – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 19.9% in 2011.
How does Belgium rank for share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems?
Belgium ranks 13th out of 29 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 67.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from European Commission (2026) and other sources – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Share of egg-laying hens in cage-free systems
Unit
%
Source
European Commission (2026) and other sources – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
29 places, 391 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

Cage-free housing systems include barns and free-range (non-organic and organic) farms.