Pet market in Europe - statistics & facts

The number of households with pets is rising rapidly in Europe. An estimated 166 million European households owned at least one pet as of 2023. Consumers are spending more and more on their pets, thus boosting the turnover of the pet food products industry. Europe was the second leading region in the production of pet food globally, producing over 10 million metric tons of pet food in 2023.

Pet ownership

Cats were the most common pet type in European households, followed by dogs. In the last two years, the pet cat and dog population has increased significantly. The pet dog population in Europe was measured at approximately 106.36 million, an increase from around 93 million in 2021. As of 2023, Germany had the highest pet dog population in the European Union, with more than ten million dogs. One of the immediate consequences of such a trend is the marked increase over the years in the value of imported cat and dog food in the EU, from merely 480 million U.S. dollars in 2011 to more than 1.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2023.

Pet market categories

The pet industry is comprised of two major product categories: pet food and pet accessories and/or supplies. Although the pet food industry represents a large share of animal-related household expenditures, growth in the value of pet products and services has also witnessed such a trend. Several countries in Europe have a large number of feed and pet food companies. In 2023, United Petfood Producers, from Belgium, had the largest revenue of pet food manufacturers in Europe, with 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, followed by Partner in Pet Food, from Hungary, at 856 million U.S. dollars. In the recent years, the prices of pet food have been increasing which has pushed many pet owners to switch to cheaper pet food brands. In 2023, the dollar sales of private label pet food brands in Europe grew by 22 percent. Poland and France had the highest growth in private label pet food sales with over 30 percent in sales value change. With persistent inflation, the private label sector could have a bigger share in the pet market in the future.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 12, 2024

Key insights

Pet food sales worldwide
146.7bn USD
European production volume of pet food
11.7m metric tons
Value of pet related products and services in Europe
24.6bn EUR
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Current statistics on this topic

Share of households owning at least one dog in the European Union in 2023, by country

Pets & Animal Supplies

Dog ownership in the European Union 2023, by country

Number of cats in the European Union in 2023, by country (in 1,000s)

Pets & Animal Supplies

Number of cats in the European Union 2023, by country

Annual sales turnover of pet food products in Europe from 2010 to 2023 (in billion euros)

Pet Food

Pet food sales turnover in Europe 2010-2023

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Further reports

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Pet food in the United Kingdom (UK)
Pet food in the United Kingdom (UK)
Pet ownership in the United Kingdom (UK)
Pet ownership in the United Kingdom (UK)
Pet food consumption in Great Britain (Kantar Media TGI)
Pet food consumption in Great Britain (Kantar Media TGI)
Pet food and pet care products in Italy
Pet food and pet care products in Italy
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