Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Germany

Germany: Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing was 414,388 hens in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
414,388 hens
Change on year
down 80.6%
World rank
24th
of 29 countries
All-time high
6.43 million hens
in 2011
All-time low
414,388 hens
in 2025
Years of data
14
2011–2025

Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Germany, 2011–2025

02.0M4.0M6.0M2011201820252011: 6.4M hens2012: 6.1M hens2014: 5.4M hens2015: 5.3M hens2016: 5.1M hens2017: 3.6M hens2018: 3.5M hens2019: 3.3M hens2020: 3.2M hens2021: 3.2M hens2022: 2.8M hens2023: 2.3M hens2024: 2.1M hens2025: 414.4k hens

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Germany is 414,388 hens, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 80.6% on the previous year and down 92.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Germany peaked at 6.43 million hens in 2011 and was at its lowest, 414,388 hens, in 2025.

That places Germany 24th out of 29 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 4.85 million hens 3.31 million hens 6.43 million hens 8
2020s 2.34 million hens 414,388 hens 3.19 million hens 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 21 Estonia 693,400 hens compare
  2. 23 Denmark 474,240 hens compare
  3. 25 Cyprus 339,780 hens compare
  4. 26 Slovenia 194,546 hens compare
  5. 27 Sweden 61,948 hens compare

See the full ranking of 29 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Germany?
Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Germany was 414,388 hens in 2025, according to European Commission (2026) and other sources – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest laying hens in cages and cage-free housing recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 6.43 million hens in 2011.
What is the lowest laying hens in cages and cage-free housing recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 414,388 hens in 2025.
How does Germany rank for laying hens in cages and cage-free housing?
Germany ranks 24th out of 29 countries with data for 2025.
Is laying hens in cages and cage-free housing rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 92.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from European Commission (2026) and other sources – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing
Unit
hens
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

Includes battery and enriched cage systems.