The pet industry in Germany

It is no news that Germany is a pet-loving country. As the world’s first animal rights law was enacted there in 1837, Germany set the stage for modern animal welfare standards.

Also, today, Germany seems to be at the forefront of animal welfare laws. Did you know there’s a unique law in Germany that mandates dog owners to walk their dogs at least twice a day? This is good news on the animal welfare front, but how’s the industry doing in the European country? Let’s find out.

What are the most popular pets in Germany?

Since the Germans even have laws to care for them, it’s no surprise that dogs (10.5 million of them) are popular. However, according to a report by The German Pet Trade and Industry Association (ZZF) in 2023, these dogs have to settle for second place in the country.

The feline companion is the most popular with 15.7 million cats in the country. More than 4 out of 10 cat owners in the country even own 2 or more cats.

ZZF also calculated that Germany houses 4.6 million small animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and mice, and 3.5 million birds.

There were 2.2 million aquariums for ornamental fish, 1.3 million garden ponds and 1.2 million terrarium homes for various reptiles.

What is Germany’s total pet population?

While the European pet population grew in 2022, there was a remarkable decline in the German pet population.

Data from the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) concluded that in 2022, there were 340 million pets in Europe, while in 2021, the total number of pets was 305 million.

Making the same comparison in Germany, there were 34.4 million pets in 2022, while there were 300,000 more in 2021.

According to the ZZF, there were 34.3 million pets left in Germany in 2023.

Germany’s pet industry size

The German pet industry is one of Europe’s largest markets, generating €7 billion in 2023, a 9.5% increase from 2022.

The growth is primarily driven by the pet food segment, which alone accounts for €4.5 billion (compared to €4 billion in 2022) with cat food making up the largest share, at €2.3 billion (compared to €2 billion in 2022).

Online pet industry sales in Germany

German pet owners are buying more and more online, showing an increase in online shopping: e-commerce represented €1.2 billion in 2022, but jumped to €1.3 billion in 2023. Though that wasn’t the biggest jump, the 5-year online growth forecast is positive for Germany’s pet supplies category.

This increase is not only notable for the pet industry alone, it turns out that this industry is leading in Germany when it comes to e-commerce growth.

Data from the German E-commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association concluded that the pet supply category registered the biggest yearly increase in 2022, followed by medication and groceries.

Not only does e-commerce see an increase, but brick-and-mortar specialists and retailers in Germany saw a €500 million increase in 2023, with a €5.6 billion turnover.

The German pet retail landscape

The largest pet retailers in Germany are Fressnapf and Zooplus, according to Statista.

Fressnapf is holding a significant market share with a widespread network of physical stores across the country.

Zooplus leads the online pet supply market with its e-commerce platform filled with pet products and food.

Another well-established chain with numerous physical stores is Das Futterhaus. Smaller significant players like Kölle Zoo and Megazoo also have a strong presence in the German pet market.

Pet owners’ favorite retailers

According to 2023 survey results, Megazoo, Fressnapf and Kölle Zoo are the favorite offline retailers, followed by Globe Hardware Store and ZOO&CO.

Bitiba, Zooplus and Fressnapf are the online winners.

The survey, carried out by Statista and Hundkatzemaus (a German TV show) also found which brands are most popular amongst German pet owners.

Vet-Concept led in multiple categories, such as wet food, dry food, nutritional supplements and snacks for dogs.

Leonardo was the leader in the cat wet food category, and Fressnapf’s FIT+FUN was the top pick for primary fish food.

Other German pet industry facts

• Around 37,000 trade visitors from 140 countries attended Interzoo 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany in 2024. More than 2,100 exhibitors showcased their products and services.
• Dog owners pay taxes in Germany, in 2022, the government generated around 414 million euros in revenue from these taxes.
• In May 2023, pet products in Germany saw a 16.6% price hike compared to the previous year. Following another substantial increase at the beginning of 2023, German pet owners are now facing a 19.9% surge in costs as of March 2023.
• The German government focuses on animal welfare a lot: “Improving animal welfare is a high priority for us because we all have a responsibility for animals as sentient creatures,” Cem Özdemir, Federal Minster of Food and Agriculture.