São Paulo – Brazilian exports of pet products have been growing, especially to Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as to Latin American nations. Although it is not among the main buyers, the Saudi market is proving to be extremely promising for the Brazilian industry due to the explosive growth of the pet population in the country.
“Between 2020 and 2024, the cat population grew by 123.2%, reaching 2.1 million animals. The dog population increased by 99.7%, totaling 295,500 animals, and the bird population grew by 29.3%, reaching 167,000 animals,” said Caio Villela, CEO of the Pet Brazil Institute (IPB), to ANBA.
“This growth of approximately 1.1 million cats during the period, combined with significant investments from both the private sector and the government in the Saudi pet market, creates substantial demand for Brazilian products, especially cat pet food, where we have strong production expertise.”
But while Saudi Arabia is not yet among the main clients of the Brazilian pet products industry, the UAE is. The largest importer in the sector is Colombia, followed by Uruguay, the UAE, Bolivia, and Chile. “We believe that Brazil’s historic ties with Arab countries, along with the growing popularity of pets in this region–especially cats–are factors that show the potential of this market for our industry,” Villela explains.
Last year, the value of exports in the sector reached USD 580.5 million, or BRL 3.237 billion, according to IPB data. This figure represents a 29% increase compared to 2023. Among the most exported products are pet food, which accounted for 86.11% of total sales last year. Next come pet care products, with 11% of the total.
“This figure of nearly 90% of sales demonstrates a strong performance of pet food in exports and our competitiveness in this segment. Meanwhile, the value of pet care exports suggests a positive diversification into higher value-added products,” explains the IPB’s CEO.
Despite the good news for the pet sector, IPB’s revenue projections for 2025 are not as positive. For this year, a 3.7% decline in national production is forecast.
“We have the potential to be a more relevant player in the global market, but to achieve this, internal challenges must be overcome. We see the continued growth of the Saudi pet market as an opportunity that the sector is working to capitalize on,” Villela adds.
Domestic pet market
When we talk about the domestic pet market, we also have very significant data. With a pet population exceeding 164.6 million in 2024, the number of cats stands out the most in the country.
With a growth of 4.5% between 2023 and 2024, this increase was almost double the global average, reaching 32.2 million cats in Brazil.
“What we can say is that sales of products for cats are increasing because the number of people with cats at home is also growing. One of the reasons for this increase is the smaller size of the animal, the lower maintenance cost, and the independence of these animals,” says Villela.
Despite this increase in cats in Brazilian households, dogs still represent the largest pet population in the country. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of dogs jumped from 62.2 million to 63.7 million, representing a 2.37% increase.
Founded in 2013, the IPB works to promote the development and professionalization of the pet products and services industry in the country.
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Report by Rebecca Vettore, in collaboration with ANBA
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
