Background <p>Direct contact with their offspring during the first few weeks makes sows a potential source of resistant bacteria for fattening pigs and food products derived from pigs. Moreover, staff working with breeding pigs are exposed to their bacterial flora which also includes zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. In this study we investigated the antimicrobial resistance of <i>E. coli</i> and the prevalence and the antimicrobial resistance of <i>Salmonella enterica</i>, cephalosporin-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> (CTX^R-<i>E. coli</i>) and methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) in breeding pigs in Germany in 2015 and 2023 to identify potential changes in the prevalence and resistance over time during a period of reduction of antimicrobial use in farm animals in Germany.</p> Results <p>Resistance in <i>E. coli</i> to tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole and the prevalence of CTX^R-<i>E. coli</i> decreased in breeding herds between 2015 and 2023 in Germany. The proportion of <i>E. coli</i> that were susceptible to all tested substances increased. In contrast, there were no changes in the herd prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> and MRSA. Resistance of <i>E. coli</i> to some antimicrobials was associated with the presence of MRSA in the herd and to herd size. Larger herds were more prone to harbour MRSA and CTX^R-<i>E. coli.</i></p> Conclusions <p>Results demonstrate a minor decrease in AMR in <i>E. coli</i> from breeding pigs in Germany but no decrease in the prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> or MRSA.</p>