Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Ireland

Ireland: Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing was 1.06 million hens in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
1.06 million hens
Change on year
down 14.9%
Rank
18th
of 29 regions
All-time high
1.88 million hens
in 2016
All-time low
1.06 million hens
in 2025
Years of data
12
2013–2025

Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Ireland, 2013–2025

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2013201920252013: 1.6M hens2014: 1.7M hens2015: 1.9M hens2016: 1.9M hens2017: 1.9M hens2018: 1.9M hens2019: 1.9M hens2021: 1.9M hens2022: 1.7M hens2023: 1.5M hens2024: 1.2M hens2025: 1.1M 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 Ireland is 1.06 million hens, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.

The figure is down 14.9% on the previous year and down 43.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Ireland peaked at 1.88 million hens in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.06 million hens, in 2025.

That places Ireland 18th out of 29 regions with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1.81 million hens 1.61 million hens 1.88 million hens 7
2020s 1.48 million hens 1.06 million hens 1.88 million hens 5

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 15 Lithuania 2.63 million hens compare
  2. 16 Slovakia 1.44 million hens compare
  3. 17 Finland 1.14 million hens compare
  4. 19 Croatia 1.02 million hens compare
  5. 20 Latvia 832,208 hens compare
  6. 21 Estonia 693,400 hens compare

See the full ranking of 29 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Ireland?
Laying hens in cages and cage-free housing in Ireland was 1.06 million 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 Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 1.88 million hens in 2016.
What is the lowest laying hens in cages and cage-free housing recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 1.06 million hens in 2025.
How does Ireland rank for laying hens in cages and cage-free housing?
Ireland ranks 18th out of 29 regions with data for 2025.
Is laying hens in cages and cage-free housing rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland 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 — 12 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.