The European Medicines Agency publishes the second European Sales and Use of Antimicrobials for Veterinary Medicine report and launches a new platform to improve monitoring of data on the use of antimicrobials in animals. The report shows a slight increase in antimicrobial sales, an increase of 5 % in 2024 compared to 2023.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) publishes the second European Sales and Use of Antimicrobials for Veterinary Medicine (ESUAvet) report. The report includes data from all countries in the European Union, including Iceland and Norway, and shows a slight increase in antimicrobial sales.
The 2024 sales figures in detail
- 98 % of total antimicrobial veterinary medicinal product (VMP) sales were for food-producing animals. This represents an increase of 5 % compared with 2023;
- the slight decline in sales between 2010 and 2022 appears to be diminishing or reversing;
- more data are needed to determine whether this increase is temporary or long-term;
- monitoring and timely reporting are essential to take appropriate action.
Optimal use of data collection
While sales figures remain an important source of information to estimate antimicrobial consumption of food-producing animals, actual consumption is mainly monitored through usage data collection - now in its second year for cattle, pigs, chickens and turkeys. There are still differences between countries, but efforts are being made to compile the data as completely and reliably as possible.
New platform
Alongside the report, ESUAvet is launching a new interactive platform. This tool offers broad public access to antimicrobial VMP sales data, enabling a wide audience to better identify trends in antibiotic use in animals, address antimicrobial resistance and better protect animal and public health in Europe.
More information
EMA website