0
The second European Sales and Use of Antimicrobials for Veterinary Medicine (ESUAvet) annual surveillance report is now published, consolidating data from the EU including Iceland and Norway in 2024.
In 2024, 98% of total sales of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products were for food-producing animals. Sales for this group increased by 5% compared to 2023. These results suggest that the overall declining trend observed between 2010 and 2022 may be slowing down or reversing. More data will be needed in the future to determine whether this reflects a lasting shift or a temporary fluctuation, which can be caused by factors such as stockpiling, disease outbreaks or changes in animal population. Continued close monitoring and timely reporting will be essential to support corrective actions, if needed.
While sales data remain a reliable proxy for estimating antimicrobial consumption in food-producing animals, actual consumption is monitored through use data reporting, now in its second year for cattle, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, marking a strategic shift towards more granular and actionable insights.
Variability between countries still limits EU-level aggregation, but countries are working hard to improve the completeness and granularity of their use data. It is important that these efforts continue, as these data offer new opportunities to understand consumption patterns and guide targeted interventions.
European sales and use of antimicrobials for veterinary medicine - 2024
December 9, 2025/ European Medicines Agency/ European Union.
https://www.ema.europa.eu
