Key Takeaways
- ▸Germany's pet market held at €6.99bn in 2025, essentially flat
- ▸Pet food grew 0.3% to €4.3bn while accessories fell 4.6%
- ▸Germany counts 33.4M pets, including 15.7M cats and 10.0M dogs
- ▸Online now moves about €1.5bn, roughly 21% of the market
EUROPE PET FOOD WATCH · Nº 1
Europe's biggest pet market just posted its 2025 scorecard: €6.99 billion, essentially flat — and in this economy, flat is a statement.
The German industry associations IVH and ZZF count 33.4 million pets (not even counting fish and reptiles): 15.7 million cats, 10.0 million dogs. Pet food — the part that matters to protein suppliers — grew 0.3% to €4.3 billion while accessories fell 4.6%. Owners cut back on toys, not on dinner.
The structural story is the channel shift: online now moves €1.5 billion — about 21% of the market. E-commerce brands run leaner assortments, faster launches and harder price comparisons, which keeps steady pressure on ingredient costs.
Reading for suppliers
A flat premium market doesn't mean flat opportunity. Reformulation never stops — and every recipe change is a chance for a raw-material supplier to win (or lose) a spec.
Germans saved on the leash and spent on the bowl. Food is the last thing a pet owner cuts.
The 4DW Angle
Germany is one of our most frequent CAT 3 destinations. The demand signal we see matches this data: steady volumes, rising documentation requirements, and buyers consolidating around suppliers who deliver spec-consistent loads.
▮ Frequently asked questions
How big is Germany's pet food market?
Germany's pet food market reached €4.3 billion in 2025, up 0.3%, inside a €6.99 billion total pet economy that held essentially flat. Food stayed steady even as accessories fell 4.6% — owners cut spending on toys, not dinner. It remains Europe's single largest pet market.
How many pets are there in Germany?
Germany counts 33.4 million pets, not even including fish and reptiles: 15.7 million cats, 10.0 million dogs, plus smaller numbers of small mammals and birds. Cats outnumber dogs roughly three to two, according to the German industry associations IVH and ZZF that compile the data.
How much German pet spending happens online?
Online now moves about €1.5 billion, roughly 21% of Germany's pet market — one euro in five. E-commerce brands run leaner assortments, faster launches and harder price comparisons, which keeps steady downward pressure on ingredient costs for the suppliers feeding that supply chain.
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