The antibiotic consumption in the Spanish pig sector increased by 11,6% in 2025 compared with the previous year, reaching 549,9 mg/kg of biomass, according to the National Report on Antibiotic Consumption in the Pig Species 2020-2025, published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) based on data recorded in PRESVET.
This is the second consecutive annual increase, after consumption reached its lowest level in the period analyzed in 2023, at 455,1 mg/kg. However, consumption adjusted for pig biomass has decreased by 40,2% compared with 2020, when it stood at 919 mg/kg.
In absolute terms, during 2025 a total of 1.184,05 tonnes of active substance, 11,4% more than in 2024, but 42,4% less than the 2.054,16 tonnes recorded in 2020.
By livestock classification, fattening farms accounted for 48,4% of total antibiotic consumption in 2025, followed by mixed-production farms (26,1%) and transition farms (20,3%). Together, these three categories accounted for 94,8% of consumption.
As for the routes of administration, drinking water continued to be the main route, accounting for 74,8% of consumption, followed by medicated feed (16,2%) and the parenteral route (7,2%). Among the antibiotic classes, aminopenicillins (35%) and tetracyclines (23,6%) stood out. According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) classification, category D antibiotics accounted for 69,7% of consumption, category C for 28,7%, and category B for 1,6%.
The report also analyzes the purpose of the prescriptions reported in 2025. Therapeutic treatments accounted for 85,7% of prescriptions and 81,1% of the volume consumed, while metaphylactic treatments accounted for 14,15% of prescriptions and 18,9% of consumption. Prophylactic treatments had a residual presence.
Regarding the production structure, farms belonging to vertically integrated companies accounted for 80% of total antibiotic consumption in pig farming in 2025, compared with 78% in 2020. Their share among farms that reported information to PRESVET rose from 49,3% to 54,8% during the same period.
The report’s data come from PRESVET and the General Register of Livestock Farms (REGA). In 2025, a total of 24.147 pig farms reported prescriptions to the system, equivalent to 53,2% of those registered in REGA.
October 2026/ PRESVET-MAPA/ Spain.
https://www.mapa.gob.es/
