Global pet food production grows 2.4% in 2025, slowing from previous years

The global production of pet food slowed in 2025 after years of expansion. According to the Agri-Food Outlook from US animal feed ingredients producer Alltech, the pet food tonnage rose 2.4% from last year to 39.276 million metric tons (mt). 

For instance, production grew 4.5% in 2024. “This slowdown was primarily linked to normalization in North America following pandemic-driven expansion, alongside demographic shifts in pet ownership,” the report says. The region was the only one to register a volume decrease from 2024, at -0.6%. Total production rounded to 11.4 million mt. 

Alltech analyzed data from more than 38,000 feed mills across 142 countries, with support from feed associations and official data-collecting organizations. 

US, China and Brazil 

The report states that several markets were boosted by “currency dynamics and premiumization trends.”

The US, China and Brazil led global production of both general feed and pet food in 2025. In pet food specifically, the US produced 10.5 million tons, followed by Brazil (4 million tons) and China (1.9 million tons). 

In total feed production, however, China was the largest producer at 300 million tons, ahead of the US (267.4 million tons) and Brazil (89.9 million tons).

Moderated Americas

The slight decline in North America was 0.066 million mt lower than in 2024, after several years of above-normal expansion. 

According to Alltech, a change in demographics in the US is linked to the normalization, as ownership is moving from large dogs toward smaller dogs and cats. “While the number of companion animals remains high, smaller breeds consume less feed per animal, dampening volume growth,” reads the report.

These effects were offset by two factors. A weaker US dollar improved export competitiveness for pet food producers, while domestic production saw increased use of seafood ingredients such as salmon and byproducts, “reflecting continued demand for premium proteins, even as total volumes stabilize.”

Latin America

Latin America performed better, with modest year-over-year (YoY) growth of 1.5%. The region reached 8.2 million mt of pet feed, divided into what Alltech calls a two-speed dynamic: “Markets where people are adopting formal pet nutrition supported growth, while others faced downtrading and import substitution pressures.”

The company also highlights the weight of high inflation paired with real-income constraints on consumers. A weaker demand for premium segments limited tonnage expansion despite continued structural penetration gains, it evaluates. 

Europe

In Europe, production increased from 3.5% YoY to 23 million mt. This upward trend is a direct result of continued household penetration and strong exports.

Alltech highlights the performance of a few countries. For instance, Germany saw production rise as the number of pet-owning households increased, while Spain recorded the highest relative growth at 5% YoY, driven by premiumization trends. 

Additionally, both Poland and Turkey are becoming increasingly relevant as strategic distribution hubs.

Asia-Pacific

Asia recorded a robust 5.6% YoY increase to 4.4 million mt, driven by China. The company cites pet humanization, expanding dog and cat populations, and resilient premium demand as growth drivers in the country, despite macroeconomic softness. 

“In emerging markets, such as the Philippines and India, a rising middle class is shifting from informal feeding habits toward purchasing commercial pet food,” Alltech analyzes, which has raised the presence of domestic and international brands. Additionally, Thailand is a strong producer in the region, responsible for 1.2 million mt in 2025. 

In Russia, import substitution policies and state support have helped the sector, as well as aquaculture, poultry and pig. The country produced 1.6 million mt last year. 

In Oceania, the tonnage grew by 5.2%, to 0.6 million mt. The performance was mainly led by Australia, which saw both growing pet ownership and an expanded market share for premium brands. “While total volumes remain modest compared to other regions, the Oceanic market shows stable structural demand,” reads the Alltech report.  

Africa and the Middle East

Africa recorded the strongest YoY percentage growth, at 11.7%, to 1.5 million mt. South Africa, the leading pet food producer on the continent, accounted for two-thirds of this volume.

“Stronger economic conditions, accelerating urbanization and rising companion-animal ownership supported rapid pet food expansion. Commercial feeding continues to gain market share versus informal or home-prepared alternatives,” the report highlights.

In the Middle East, on the other hand, pet feed tonnage remained flat in 2025, with a slight 0.1% YoY increase to 0.1 million mt – the smallest regional production among the areas researched.

General results

Global feed production – for both livestock and companion animals – reached 1.4 billion mt in 2025, for a 2.9% YoY increase. “Growth was uneven, increasingly regionalized and driven less by herd expansion than by structural change, productivity gains and shifts in how production is measured and recorded,” Alltech says. 

Production modernization in several countries helped the market expand. One example is China, which continues a transition from on-farm mixing to industrial feed systems.

But the year was also marked by challenges. “Producers navigated persistent animal disease risks, volatile input markets, supply-chain challenges, climate disruptions and tightening sustainability expectations,” according to the report. 

Outlook

For 2026, the company expects demand for pet feed to continue growing worldwide, with performance in well-established markets constrained by weaker consumer purchasing power and broader economic price sensitivity. 

“Demand for pet feed continues to remain resilient, and the sector is expected to continue on a positive trajectory in 2026,” concludes the Alltech report.