How much do Italian pet parents spend on vets?

The State General Accounting Department (Ragioneria Generale dello Stato, RGS) concluded that Italian pet parents spent €693.16 million in veterinary clinics last year. This is nearly €200 million more than in 2020, when it reached €512.86 million nationwide.

The latest figures also show that the amount in 2021 surpassed pre-pandemic levels. The spending on veterinarian services in Italy accounted for €647.28 million in 2019, according to the figures.

Pharmaceutical expenditure for animals increased from €190 million to €240 million in the last two years (+26%).

Since 2016, Italian pet owners spent nearly €3.5 billion on 27,200 active veterinarians nationwide. 

A trusted source

The Italian National Association of Veterinarians believes that vets are “key influencers” for pet parents. 

A survey from the association concluded that 94% of owners stated that they follow the vet’s indications on the health care and well-being of their pet. More than 8 out of 10 asked them for advice about the animal’s diet.

Pet parents are also “increasingly” asking veterinarians about topics that are not strictly related to health, such as grooming, accessories and toys.

Rising trend 

According to Zoomark and Zoomark and the Italian Association for Pet Feeding and Care (ASSALCO), 12.2 million households bought dog and cat food in 2021. This is about 1 million more than the previous year.

The turnover of the Italian market for dog and cat food was €2.5 billion ($2.7B) last year, up 8.4% from 2020. Dog and cat food purchases increased by more than 7% in the offline channel. 

The number of households purchasing dog and cat food in 2021 reached 46.9% of the total number of Italian households (+3.4%) supported by an increase in purchases of premium and super-premium products.