AMR could cost global economy $100 trillion by 2050, says first global animal health report

By 2050, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could threaten the food security of two billion people and inflict an economic loss of $100 trillion if urgent action was not taken, according to the first global report on animal health released by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on May 23, 2025.

The report found that pathogens were increasingly resistant to treatment, with some no longer responding to antimicrobial drugs.

AMR occurs when pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other disease-causing agents, develop resistance to drugs and can withstand the effects of medication, particularly antibiotics that once effectively treated infections. Driven by misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in both human and veterinary medicine, AMR was identified as one of the gravest threats to global health, food security, and economic stability.

A detailed analysis of antimicrobial use in aquaculture versus terrestrial food-producing animals revealed that fluoroquinolones accounted for 15.8 per cent of antimicrobials used in aquaculture, raising concerns about the deployment of critical antibiotics in aquatic environments.

Meanwhile, around a fifth of WOAH members reported using antimicrobials as growth promoters, despite recommendations by the organisation against the practice. Among those, 7 per cent used antimicrobials classified as highest-priority critically important to human health, including colistin, enrofloxacin, and fosfomycin. 

“The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a major threat to both animal and human health,” said Javier Yugueros-Marcos, Head of the Antimicrobial Resistance and Veterinary Products Department at WOAH.

However, in some positive news, the report also indicated that antimicrobial use, including antibiotics, in animals fell five per cent between 2020 and 2022, with use in Europe seeing the biggest decline of 23 per cent, followed by Africa at 20 per cent. 

“The declining use of antibiotics in almost all regions is encouraging, but further reductions can be achieved by prioritising preventative measures against animal diseases, with vaccination as an essential component of these,” said Javier Yugueros-Marcos, head of the antimicrobial resistance and veterinary products department at WOAH.

The report estimated that if farmers worldwide reduced antibiotic use by 30 per cent through improved hygiene, vaccination, and biosecurity, the global economy could gain $120 billion by 2050.