Countries with strong agricultural bases, mature food processing sectors and culturally ingrained views of pets tend to support larger and more diverse pet food industries.
The pet food industry in Europe is geographically concentrated rather than evenly distributed, as seen in the map at the bottom of this article. The locations reflect long-standing patterns in European food manufacturing, including access to agricultural raw materials, proximity to consumers, export infrastructure and national attitudes toward food quality and animal care.
UK, Western and Central Europe pet food predominance
Western and Central Europe account for the majority of European companies in Petfood Industry’s Top Companies database. The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Belgium appear repeatedly, with multiple firms headquartered or operating manufacturing sites in each country.
The United Kingdom stands out with a dense grouping of companies across England and Wales, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk and Buckinghamshire. Many of these sites are in rural or semi-rural industrial areas rather than major cities. This reflects the country’s established pet food manufacturing base, strong private label activity and a consumer market that has embraced premium, natural and fresh pet food concepts.
Germany is also home to many pet food companies, with companies located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bremen. These regions are historically linked to livestock production, feed manufacturing and export-oriented food processing. Germany’s engineering expertise and regulatory rigor have influenced a pet food sector that emphasizes formulation control, processing efficiency and compliance.
Spain and France both host several companies, often outside major metropolitan areas. Spanish firms tend to cluster in agricultural regions, particularly those linked to cereal production and livestock. French companies are often located near established, globally famous food production zones, reflecting the country’s strong regulatory framework and emphasis on food quality.
In 2023, cats were the most populous pet in Europe, continuing a multi-year trend. France had one of the highest cat populations in Europe at 14.9 million, with the highest per capita cat ownership rate of 21.8%, among the countries analyzed by the Fédération Européenne de l'Industrie des Aliments pour Animaux Familiers (FEDIAF, European Pet Food Industry Federation) in their 2025 Facts and Figures report.
Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe pet food industry
Nordic countries such as Denmark, Finland and Sweden appear less frequently but still show a clear presence. Companies in Denmark and Finland are typically located near logistics corridors and agricultural zones rather than capital cities.
To the south, Italy emerges as another key hub, with companies spread across northern and central regions including Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Liguria. These areas overlap with Italy’s human food manufacturing clusters. Italian pet food companies may draw on world-renowned culinary traditions, regional sourcing and processing expertise developed for human food, reinforcing the cultural link between pet feeding and gastronomy.
Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, are represented by fewer but strategically located companies. These businesses are often based near industrial parks outside capital cities, suggesting a focus on cost-efficient manufacturing and export growth. Lower labor costs, expanding regional demand and improving logistics infrastructure are making these regions increasingly attractive for pet food production.
Poland, with a human population of 36.8 million, had the highest per capita dog ownership rate, according to FEDIAF data compared to country population. Considering cats, Poland followed France closely with a per capita rate of 20.5%, despite having a comparatively smaller overall cat population of 7.5 million. The country's high per capita figure, in line with its elevated dog ownership rate, signals a robust companion animal culture relative to population size.
Geography and culture shape industry structure
Overall, the distribution of pet food companies across Europe mirrors broader food system dynamics. Countries with strong agricultural bases, mature food processing sectors and culturally ingrained views of pets as companions tend to support larger and more diverse pet food industries. Proximity to ports, highways and cross-border trade routes further reinforces clustering.
Petfood Industry’s dataset suggests that Europe’s pet food industry remains closely tied to place. Geography influences ingredient access and logistics, while culture shapes product positioning, quality expectations and brand storytelling. Together, these factors continue to define where pet food companies choose to locate and how the European market evolves.
European pet food market at EUR29.3 Bn in 2023; Russia out
The total value of the European pet food market in 2023 reached EUR29.3 billion (US$33.7 billion), growing 9%. That revenue grew from selling 9.1 million metric tonnes (10.03 tons) of pet food and treats. From Albania to the United Kingdom, more than 400 pet food companies produced that food in at least 500 facilities. The FEDIAF released that data in their 2025 Facts and Figures report.
Why does a 2025 report have data from 2023? In 2024, FEDIAF revamped its data collection and reporting to harmonize the figures from 15 national pet associations and 41 nations.
“It is important to note that our list of European countries has evolved,” FEDIAF officials wrote in the report. “Russia is no longer included, and we have incorporated a set of new countries that were previously not included to ensure that the data covers all of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and most of the remaining Council of Europe member states (the report now covers 41 of the 48 CoE members).”
Pet population in Europe 2023
In 2023, 139 million European households included a pet of some kind, including Beagles, Boas, Calicos and Canaries. That’s equivalent to 49% of European households. Of the 299 million pets overall, dogs and cats were the most populous pets, as is common worldwide.
Cats took the top spot, occupying 26% of European homes. In Europe, 108 million cats live as people’s pets, or at least the humans view the dynamic that way.
Dogs dwelt in 25% of European domiciles. With a population of 90 million in 2023, dogs were the second most common companion animal.
Ornamental birds rounded out the top three pets with 48 million feathered friends, followed by 25 million small mammals, 18 million fish and other aquarium occupants. Reptiles, amphibians, arthropods and other terrarium tenants finished the list with 11 million.
