Spain Pet Sector

Spain is the fifth largest pet market in Europe, behind the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy with 28 million registered pets, among them 6.7 million dogs and 3.8 million cats.  The sector has been slightly affected by the pandemic. The data from 2020 indicate that the pandemic has increased the number of people who have integrated one (or more) pet(s) into their homes, mostly either a dog or a cat. The current trend reinforces the profitability of the pet sector, making it one of the highest profit-making businesses in 2021. 

The steady interest in the health and well-being of pets in Spain created three pillars of sales: food, health and aesthetics (or hygiene). The Spanish market for medicines for pets exceeded 1,6 million Euros while the market for pet food had a turnover of 1,2 million Euros. As indicated by the Spanish Association of Food Manufacturers for Companion Animals, ANFAAC, the pet food sector that has grown the most is for cats increasing 6.7%. In the case of dogs, despite the fact that the increase has been lower (2.1%) the sector’s total revenue continues to be higher.  Among the types of food, sales of dry food grew, with an increase of 0.8% in the case of dogs and 3.7% in for cats. However, the increase in revenue in wet food was even greater. In total, sector grew by 8.1% for dogs achieving 100 million Euros, while for felines the growth was even larger at 11%. The Pet snacks increased as well, measuring 3.6% more than in 2019.

E-commerce exploded in Spain due to the pandemic growing by 25% in 2020 in this sector.  This channel became very popular with consumers during the crisis, as it offers lower prices and the added value of home delivery. However, specialized stores located inside of the large supermarkets also gained ground against the small neighborhood stores. There are 5,400 points of sale in Spain of products and services for pets, including both pet’s shops, with approximately 3,000 outlets and 2,400 veterinary health centers co-located with a shop.

For more information, contact Cristina.Cazorla@trade.gov.