Italy Pet Food Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Italy Pet Food Market Market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period.

Key Highlights

• Italy is one of the most pet-friendly countries in Europe. Pets are not only recognized as part of the family but also part of the community. Around 55% of Italians owned at least one pet, with 64.8 million pets in the country. According to the National Association of Manufacturers for Food and Care of Companion Animals (ASSALCO), roughly half of the Italian households include dogs or cats. The country's pet population includes 8.7 million dogs, 10.1 million cats, 12.9 million birds, 29.9 million fish, 1.8 million small mammals, and 1.4 million reptiles.
• Pet owners in Italy increasingly consider their pets part of their families. Their presence influences several aspects of their lives, such as the holiday decision-making process. Italy spends far less on pets than other developed countries. In fact, Italy is amongst the bottom four in terms of expenditure per pet in the developed world, ahead of only the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. However, the market is anticipated to grow over the forecast period due to the growing awareness of feeding pets with premium and packed pet food. The main driver for the market is the humanization of pets, wherein human characteristics are ascribed to pets, and they are treated similarly. This trend resulted in an increased focus on pet health, nutrition, weight, and overall wellness.

Italy Pet Food Market Trends

Humanization of Pets

According to the National Association of Pet-Food and Pet-Cared Care Companies (ASSALCO), there are around 60 million pets in the country, with a dog population of 8.7 million. Dogs are the second most popular pets in the country, accounting for 46.5% of the pet food market. Cats, with a population of 10.1 million, dominate 53.5% of the market. The number of pets in Italy has been on the increase in recent years. Furthermore, around 55% of Italians own at least one pet.

The increase in pet ownership was reflected by a significant increase in the number of households purchasing dog and cat food, which reached 12.2 million in 2021, about 1 million more than the previous year. Modern Italian families increasingly have pets for companionship. This new role is a result of Italy’s changing demographics, family structure, and general regard for animals. As said above, the increased number and importance of pets translate into greater care and into higher expenditures for food, health, accessories, and services. The latest industry figures indicate that the Italian pet food market’s growth potential remains significant. According to studies, this is because 60% of Italian pet owners feed their pets with commercial pet food rather than homemade food or leftovers.

Rising Pet Food Imports

According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), France, Germany, Thailand, and Hungary are the major exporters of dog and cat food for Italy. Import in terms of value is significantly increasing in the Italian market from USD 677,516 thousand in 2019 to USD 848,068 thousand in 2021. Pet food is highly regulated in the European Union, including Italy, to conform to the highest standards of hygiene, safety, and quality.

In the European Union, pet food is subject to feed marketing legislation and veterinary legislation. Its feed marketing legislation covers food for pets as well as feed for food-producing animals. Accordingly, Pet food products containing an animal-origin ingredient must be sourced from approved establishments and have to be accompanied by a veterinary certificate. All exports of pet food to the European Union must comply with European Union requirements, including rules on labeling, hygiene, animal health, certification, and the use of additives. The pet food exporters must verify the full set of import requirements with their European Union customers. Final import approval is subservient to the importing country’s rules as interpreted by border officials at the time of product entry. Despite the legislation in the country, imports have been increasing due to domestic demand.

Italy Pet Food Industry Overview

Italy's pet food market is highly consolidated with major players such as Coop Italia, Mars, Nestle, Colgate- Palmolive, and Archer Daniels Midland (Neovia). Both multinationals and local companies are increasing their research and development (R&D) to provide more specialized products that accommodate the varying demands of pet owners.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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