05/12/2025
The Australian public’s acceptance of the live export industry has grown substantially over a series of national surveys conducted since 2019.
Data science company Voconiq has collected the most comprehensive and consistent view of Australian attitudes toward the livestock export industry over this time, funded by the research bodies for livestock exporters and producers, LiveCorp and Meat & Livestock Australia.
Voconiq CEO Kieren Moffat says it’s clear that the industry’s contribution to farmers, regional economies, and international markets resonates with the public.
“More than 80% of participants in the 2025 survey agreed the industry makes an important economic contribution to Australia (up from 72% in 2019), while 70% agreed it helps overseas countries ensure their citizens have access to safe sources of meat,” Dr Moffat said.
“We always look at two key measures: trust and acceptance. Both have been trending up from the baseline, with the average level of acceptance moving from 2.89 in 2019 to 3.14 this year (on a scale of 1 to 5).”
Dr Moffat says animal welfare remains central to the community’s views on live exports, and the surveys have consistently shown that people understand it’s a complex issue.
“For the first time, the ideological views of participants on whether livestock should be exported, and the treatment of animals in the supply chain, contributed meaningfully to overall attitudes toward the industry in our statistical modelling.
“However, there was also a dramatic decrease in the number of participants concerned about conditions on live export ships (from 54% in 2019 to 37% in 2025), and increased recognition that Australia’s animal welfare standards improve conditions in overseas markets (up from 54% to 60%).
“When asked to weigh the relative costs and benefits of live exports, once again around three quarters of respondents agreed that the benefits either outweigh (39%) or are equal to (36%) the costs.”
LiveCorp CEO Wayne Collier said it’s reassuring to see the Australian community recognising the role of live exports in providing employment in regional towns, and quality nutrition in destination countries.
“The industry also knows how important it is to continue showing the public that it cares, and shares their desire for excellent animal welfare outcomes,” Mr Collier said.
“These surveys help us to understand the community’s reasons to support or feel concern about the industry, so we can provide the right information to shed light on its performance in these key areas.”
The report Live Exports and the Australian Community 2025 is available here.
Methodology
An online research panel was used to ensure a representative sample of Australians over the age of 18 years by age and gender. Participants were recruited across the country between 24 July and 20 August 2025. 4,635 surveys were included for analysis after data cleaning. People were not told of the topic until after agreeing to participate.