Data looking at UK pig production has found that total antibiotic use in 2025 was 10% lower than the previous year.
According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), total antibiotic use fell to 77.2 mg/PCU in 2025, down 10% on the previous year and now 72% lower than in 2015, when reporting through the electronic Medicines Book (eMB) first began. Taken together, the results were said to show the scale of long-term change that has taken place across the sector.
Over the past ten years, producers and vets have reportedly shifted focus towards improving herd health, tightening biosecurity and refining management practices so that antibiotics are needed less often.
Now capturing data from most (>94%) of UK pig production, the eMB has provided a shared picture of antibiotic use across the sector. AHDB stated that this visibility has enabled producers and vets to benchmark performance, identify where change is needed and track progress over time, turning data into practical decisions on farm.
“The latest results show that responsible antibiotic use and high standards of pig health and welfare go hand-in-hand and maintaining that balance will remain a priority.”
Mandy Nevel, AHDB
The Association said that the withdrawal of zinc oxide in 2022 raised concerns that antibiotic use could rise again, but while there was a small short-term increase, usage never returned to previous levels. It has since fallen again, which AHDB said demonstrated the strength of the systems now in place.
The data found that while the pace of reduction has naturally slowed, antibiotic use is still necessary and the goal “should never be zero use”. Shared data, consistent measurement and industry-wide collaboration were all said to help mitigate the disease pressures, changing production conditions and evolving challenges faced by the sector.
Mandy Nevel, head of animal health and welfare at AHDB, said: “Ten years of data from the eMB show what this industry can achieve when it works together. Antibiotic use has fallen by more than 70% since 2015, which is a significant achievement.
“This hasn’t been about removing treatment where it is needed. It has been about improving herd health and management so that the need for antibiotics is reduced in the first place.
“The latest results show that responsible antibiotic use and high standards of pig health and welfare go hand-in-hand and maintaining that balance will remain a priority.”
