(a) Annual sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture in the EU-27 (2018-2022); (b) Sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture by EU Member State in 2018 and 2022

Chart (a) on the left presents the aggregate annual data on the sales of antimicrobials in food-producing animals in the EU-27, expressed in milligrams per Population Correction Unit (PCU). The PCU is used to normalise antimicrobial sales data for the size of the animal population that could potentially be treated with these substances. The PCU takes into account the number of animals slaughtered and their estimated weight when treated. Using this methodology, 1 PCU corresponds to 1 kilogram of animal biomass. The chart also shows the value for the baseline year (2018) from which progress against the relevant 2030 zero pollution target is calculated (orange horizontal line), as well as the zero pollution target value of 59.2 mg/PCU (yellow horizontal line). Right figure: The chart presents the data on the sales of veterinary antimicrobials in food-producing animals in 2018 and 2022 by EU Member State, also expressed in milligrams per PCU.

Loading

Methodology

More information on the methodology of the indicator is available at https://esvacbi.ema.europa.eu/analytics/saw.dll?Dashboard.

Units

Milligrams per Population Correction Unit (mg/PCU)

Additional information

Antimicrobials are a group of medicines that includes antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.

Antimicrobials are grouped according to the anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification for veterinary medicines. This indicator covers the following ATCvet groups:

QA07AA and QA07AB as part of the antidiarrheals, intestinal anti-inflammatory/anti-infective agents;

QG01AA, QG01AE, QG01BA, QG01BE, QG51AA and QG51AG as part of the genitourinary system and sex hormones;

QJ01 and QJ51 as part of the anti-infectives for systemic use; and

QP51AG as part of the antiparasitic products, insecticides, and repellents.

The data for this chart is collected by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as part of its European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) database. In the ESVAC data, pills are excluded from the sales data for food-producing animals as they are assumed to be used almost exclusively in pets.

(a) Annual sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture in the EU-27 (2018-2022); (b) Sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture by EU Member State in 2018 and 2022

Related content

References and footnotes