The Italian pet product market closed 2025 with a value of 5.3 billion euros, 2.5% more than the previous year. According to the 19th edition of the Assalco-Zoomark Report, the dog and cat food segment accounts for 79% of the total (4.2 billion), while pet care (accessories, hygiene, and health) adds the remaining 1.1 billion. Food grew by 2.7% in value to 811,000 tons.
The technical development driving 811,000 tons of pet food 🏭
The average annual growth rate of pet food between 2022 and 2025 was 6.9%, exceeding the 4.9% of mass packaged consumption. This progress responds to investment in extrusion processes and alternative protein formulation, which allow for greater digestibility and specific nutritional profiles by breed and age. Automation in Italian plants has optimized production to maintain quality in a market that grows in volume without sacrificing margins.
The dog eats better than its owner (and the data confirms it) 🐶
With an annual growth of 6.9% compared to 4.9% for packaged human food, it is clear who rules the Italian shopping basket. While the owner rations their pasta, the dog devours salmon croquettes with blueberries. It's not that Italians love their pets more than themselves, but the numbers speak: the dog is no longer just man's best friend, but the one who eats better than him.