Beyond Clinical Care: The £19.4 Billion Impact of the UK Veterinary Sector

When most people think of the veterinary profession, they picture small animal practices treating family pets or farm vets working with horses and cows. While these are key parts of what the vet industry does, a study commissioned by the Veterinary Policy Research Foundation (VPRF) and conducted by BiGGAR Economics demonstrates that the value of the UK veterinary sector extends far beyond this.

Our assessment of the UK veterinary sector highlights the wider contribution to the economy, contributing £19.4 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA), supporting 310,910 jobs, and generating £10.0 billion in societal wellbeing benefits.

Key Findings at a Glance

In 2024, the animal-related sectors supported by veterinary professionals generated a total economic footprint of £32.7 billion GVA and over 674,000 jobs. By assessing the counterfactual—evaluating how these industries would perform without veterinary care—we calculated the direct and indirect economic contribution attributable to veterinary professionals and the wider team:

• £19.4 Billion Total GVA Contribution: Spanning clinical practices, agriculture, companion animal markets, sports, research, and pharmaceuticals.
• 310,910 Supported Jobs: Encompassing vets, veterinary nurses, technicians, paraprofessionals, and allied industries.
• £10.0 Billion in Wellbeing Value: Quantified using HM Treasury-recommended WELLBY metrics, reflecting enhanced pet owner happiness, reduced NHS healthcare burdens, improved farmer mental health, and visitor experiences at zoos and events.
• £14.2 Billion in Facilitated Trade: Supporting £4.5 billion in UK animal and food exports and safeguarding £9.7 billion in safe imports.

These impacts can be broken down into

1. Veterinary Practices (£8.4bn GVA | 133,955 Jobs)

Direct, supply chain, and staff spending from UK veterinary practices form the foundational baseline of the sector, employing over 30,000 active veterinary surgeons and 23,500 registered veterinary nurses.

2. Food Production & Agriculture (£5.1bn GVA | 89,310 Jobs)

Veterinary input is vital to agricultural productivity and livestock health, acting as a national surveillance system and preventing outbreaks of disease. By reducing endemic disease and enabling intensive and extensive farming systems to function efficiently, the veterinary team contributes £1.7 billion GVA to livestock production and aquaculture. Furthermore, Official Veterinarians in abattoirs enable £3.3 billion GVA in food processing by certifying meat safety and enforcing animal welfare standards, ensuring that animal products entering the food chain are fit for human consumption.

3. Companion Animals & Pets (£3.8bn GVA | 35,280 Jobs)

The UK’s 28 million pets support an eco-system of pet food manufacturing, accessories, insurance, and services. Veterinary teams maintain animal health, extending pet lifespans and boosting owner confidence (without veterinary care, it was assumed the pet population would be over a third smaller). Beyond direct GVA, pets deliver £5.9 billion in wellbeing value to their owners and save the NHS an estimated £1.2 billion annually through increased physical activity and reduced health visits.

4. Sports, Working Animals, & Zoos (£803m GVA | 26,660 Jobs)

From horse racing and local agricultural shows to assistance dogs and zoos, the veterinary team enforces animal welfare and biosecurity. They directly safeguard £363m GVA in the zoo sector and £356m GVA in equestrian sports, alongside generating over £1.6 billion in societal wellbeing.

5. Education, Research, & Pharmaceuticals (£1.3bn GVA | 25,700 Jobs)

The UK boasts world-leading vet schools and research institutes (such as the Roslin Institute and Pirbright Institute), which generate £596m GVA across tuition, student spending, and research grants. Additionally, the highly innovative UK veterinary pharmaceuticals market is underpinned by vets and contributes £663m GVA and 10,035 high-value jobs.

Safeguarding National Resilience & Public Health

Beyond measurable GVA, the report highlights two critical risk-mitigation roles played by the veterinary sector:

1. Epidemic Prevention: Outbreaks of notifiable diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth or African Swine Fever can devastate the rural economy. An uncontrolled Foot-and-Mouth outbreak alone could result in 1.9 million culled animals and £1.6 billion in direct losses. Frontline veterinary surveillance acts as the primary defense against these catastrophic events.
2. One Health & Public Health: With 75% of emerging human infectious diseases originating in animals, veterinary monitoring (e.g., for Avian Influenza) and antimicrobial stewardship are essential to preventing future pandemics and tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Conclusion

The findings highlight that the UK veterinary sector is not merely a service industry for pet owners, but an essential structural pillar of the UK economy, public health network, and rural society.

The full report is available here.