Global Use of Animal Antimicrobials Center on China

Global antimicrobial usage estimates for cattle, sheep, chicken, and pigs is expected to increase from 99,502 tonnes in 2020 to 107,472 tonnes in 2030 - a rise of 8 percent. Antibiotics are used to keep livestock healthy, but experts warn that overuse could lead to potentially fatal antibiotic-resistant infections not only in animals but in humans, and that we are now even seeing the emergence of bacteria more resistant to the human immune system.

The following chart looks at the ten biggest markets when it comes to using antimicrobials in food-producing animals, using data from ‘Global trends in antimicrobial use in food-producing animals: 2020 to 2030’ by Mulchandani R, Wang Y, Gilbert M, Van Boeckel TP (2023). China comes far ahead of the group, having used 32776.3 tonnes of antimicrobials in 2020. It is worth noting, however, that China is one of the many countries that have recently implemented strategies for reducing antimicrobials, including having banned the livestock food additive colistin since 2017. As policies change and news regulations are implemented, global estimates need to be frequently revised.

Brazil (10007.1 tonnes), India (5747.7 tonnes), the United States (5234.2 tonnes) and Australia (3609.5 tonnes) round off the other top 5 markets and are all expected to retain their high positions in 2030. Pakistan, ranking tenth on the list, used 2184.3 tonnes in 2020. This is expected to hit 3142.6 by 2030, however, marking the biggest percentage increase of the ranking at 43.9 percent.