Belgium: Sales of veterinary antibiotics drop to record low

Belgium's sales of antibacterial veterinary medical products reached a record low of 51.4 mg/kg biomass in 2025, a decrease of nearly 13% compared to 2024, according to the 17th BelVet-SAC report, prepared by the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG) and AMCRA, the knowledge center on antibiotic use and resistance in animals.

This decrease continues the long-term downward trend. The total reduction since 2011 stands at 64.9%, with the 2024 target (65%) having been virtually reached with a one-year delay.

The reported sales of antibacterial agents include both pharmaceuticals and antibacterial premixes. The latter decreased by 22.6% in 2025, bringing the total reduction in sales of antibacterial premixes since 2011 to 91.5%.

Pig sector

According to the report, 2025 was, overall, a remarkable year of further decline in the use of antibacterial agents in pigs. Total use in pigs decreased by 16% in 2025 compared to 2024, leading to a reduction of 56.2% since 2018. Furthermore, in 2025, more than six out of ten pig farms were located in the green benchmark area for all their pig categories. The share of tonnes of antibacterial agents used by pig categories with a red benchmark colour score also decreased significantly, from 22% in 2024 to 10.5%.