diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 40ba933cf0d9..94090783b764 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ commands:
       - run:
           name: Install Python dependencies
           command: |
-            python -m pip install --user -r requirements/dev/build-requirements.txt
+            python -m pip install --user --group build
             python -m pip install --user \
                 numpy<< parameters.numpy_version >> \
-                -r requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
+                --group doc
             python -m pip install --no-deps --user \
                 git+https://github.com/matplotlib/mpl-sphinx-theme.git
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml b/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml
index 8a01d76c00f5..9feed954a1f3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache@cdf6c1fa76f9f475f3d7449005a359c84ca0f306  # v5.0.3
         with:
           path: C:\cygwin\home\runneradmin\.cache\pip
-          key: Cygwin-py3.${{ matrix.python-minor-version }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('requirements/*/*.txt') }}
+          key: Cygwin-py3.${{ matrix.python-minor-version }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('pyproject.toml') }}
           restore-keys: ${{ matrix.os }}-py3.${{ matrix.python-minor-version }}-pip-
 
       - name: Cache ccache
@@ -175,15 +175,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Python dependencies
         shell: bash.exe -eo pipefail -o igncr "{0}"
         run: |
-          python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
-          python -m pip install kiwisolver 'numpy>=1.22,<1.26' pillow importlib_resources
-          grep -v -F -e psutil requirements/testing/all.txt >requirements_test.txt
-          python -m pip install meson-python pybind11
+          python -m pip install --group build 'numpy>=1.25,<1.26'
           export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
-          python -m pip install --no-build-isolation 'contourpy>=1.0.1'
-          python -m pip install --upgrade cycler fonttools \
-              packaging pyparsing python-dateutil setuptools-scm \
-              -r requirements_test.txt sphinx ipython
+          python -m pip install --upgrade --group test sphinx ipython
           python -m pip install --upgrade pycairo 'cairocffi>=0.8' PyGObject &&
              python -c 'import gi; gi.require_version("Gtk", "3.0"); from gi.repository import Gtk' &&
              echo 'PyGObject is available' ||
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linting.yml b/.github/workflows/linting.yml
index 048b78f24761..bab3967df34f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linting.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linting.yml
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: '3.11'
 
       - name: Install mypy
-        run: pip3 install -r requirements/testing/mypy.txt -r requirements/testing/all.txt
+        run: pip3 install --group build --group typing
 
       - name: Set up reviewdog
         uses: reviewdog/action-setup@d8a7baabd7f3e8544ee4dbde3ee41d0011c3a93f  # v1.5.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 1e79166758d1..46aa9bf13909 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -52,14 +52,14 @@ jobs:
           - name-suffix: "(Minimum Versions)"
             os: ubuntu-22.04
             python-version: '3.11'
-            extra-requirements: '-c requirements/testing/minver.txt'
+            extra-requirements: '-c ci/minver-requirements.txt'
             delete-font-cache: true
             # https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/29844
             pygobject-ver: '<3.52.0'
           - os: ubuntu-22.04
             python-version: '3.11'
             CFLAGS: "-fno-lto"  # Ensure that disabling LTO works.
-            extra-requirements: '-r requirements/testing/extra.txt'
+            extra-requirements: '--group test-extra'
             # https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/29844
             pygobject-ver: '<3.52.0'
           - name-suffix: "(Extra TeX packages)"
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ jobs:
         if: startsWith(runner.os, 'Linux')
         with:
           path: ~/.cache/pip
-          key: ${{ matrix.os }}-py${{ matrix.python-version }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('requirements/*/*.txt') }}
+          key: |
+            ${{ matrix.os }}-py${{ matrix.python-version }}-pip-${{
+            hashFiles('pyproject.toml', 'ci/minver-requirements.txt') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ matrix.os }}-py${{ matrix.python-version }}-pip-
       - name: Cache pip
@@ -198,7 +200,7 @@ jobs:
         if: startsWith(runner.os, 'macOS')
         with:
           path: ~/Library/Caches/pip
-          key: ${{ matrix.os }}-py${{ matrix.python-version }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('requirements/*/*.txt') }}
+          key: ${{ matrix.os }}-py${{ matrix.python-version }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('pyproject.toml') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ matrix.os }}-py${{ matrix.python-version }}-pip-
       - name: Cache ccache
@@ -235,12 +237,8 @@ jobs:
 
           # Install dependencies from PyPI.
           # Preinstall build requirements to enable no-build-isolation builds.
-          python -m pip install --upgrade $PRE \
-            'contourpy>=1.0.1' cycler fonttools kiwisolver importlib_resources \
-            packaging pillow 'pyparsing!=3.1.0' python-dateutil setuptools-scm \
-            'meson-python>=0.13.1' 'pybind11>=2.13.2' \
-            -r requirements/testing/all.txt \
-            ${{ matrix.extra-requirements }}
+          python -m pip install --upgrade $PRE --prefer-binary \
+            --group build --group test ${{ matrix.extra-requirements }}
 
           # Install optional dependencies from PyPI.
           # Sphinx is needed to run sphinxext tests
diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index d68a9d36f0d3..829a1c7b9005 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ stages:
 
           - bash: |
               python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-              python -m pip install --upgrade -r requirements/dev/build-requirements.txt
-              python -m pip install -r requirements/testing/all.txt -r requirements/testing/extra.txt
+              python -m pip install --upgrade --group build
+              python -m pip install --prefer-binary --group test --group test-extra
             displayName: 'Install dependencies with pip'
 
           - bash: |
diff --git a/requirements/testing/minver.txt b/ci/minver-requirements.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from requirements/testing/minver.txt
rename to ci/minver-requirements.txt
diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/development/29181-ES.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/development/29181-ES.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a3c7e5eed448
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/development/29181-ES.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+pip 25.1 suggested for development
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Dependencies for development (build and testing) are now specified as `Dependency Groups
+<https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/specifications/dependency-groups/#dependency-groups>`_
+instead of `individual requirements files
+<https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/reference/requirements-file-format/>`_.
+
+Consequently, a version of pip that supports Dependency Groups is suggested, namely
+version 25.1 or higher. Note that if you install build/testing dependencies manually (by
+copying the list from ``pyproject.toml``), then an older version of pip is sufficient.
diff --git a/doc/devel/development_setup.rst b/doc/devel/development_setup.rst
index 55bf98b4d380..eade1822f6ff 100644
--- a/doc/devel/development_setup.rst
+++ b/doc/devel/development_setup.rst
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ setup.
 
       Install the Python dependencies with ::
 
-        pip install -r requirements/dev/dev-requirements.txt
+        pip install -U pip  # You may skip this step if pip 25.1 is already available.
+        pip install --group dev
 
       Remember to activate the environment whenever you start working on Matplotlib!
 
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ Install Matplotlib in editable mode
 Install Matplotlib in editable mode from the :file:`matplotlib` directory using the
 command ::
 
-    python -m pip install --verbose --no-build-isolation --editable ".[dev]"
+    python -m pip install --verbose --no-build-isolation --group dev --editable .
 
 The 'editable/develop mode' builds everything and places links in your Python environment
 so that Python will be able to import Matplotlib from your development source directory.
diff --git a/doc/devel/release_guide.rst b/doc/devel/release_guide.rst
index 886b60240415..ccac5b4f8872 100644
--- a/doc/devel/release_guide.rst
+++ b/doc/devel/release_guide.rst
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ To build the documentation you must have the tagged version installed, but
 build the docs from the ``ver-doc`` branch.  An easy way to arrange this is::
 
   pip install matplotlib
-  pip install -r requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
+  pip install --group doc
   git checkout v3.7.0-doc
   git clean -xfd
   make -Cdoc O="-t release -j$(nproc)" html latexpdf LATEXMKOPTS="-silent -f"
diff --git a/doc/install/dependencies.rst b/doc/install/dependencies.rst
index d0567900ea4c..8f638ea5ed1d 100644
--- a/doc/install/dependencies.rst
+++ b/doc/install/dependencies.rst
@@ -406,17 +406,11 @@ Documentation dependencies
 Python
 ------
 
-The additional Python packages required to build the
-:ref:`documentation <documenting-matplotlib>` are listed in
-:file:`doc-requirements.txt` and can be installed using ::
-
-    pip install -r requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
-
-The content of :file:`doc-requirements.txt` is also shown below:
-
-.. include:: ../../requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
-   :literal:
+The additional Python packages required to build the :ref:`documentation
+<documenting-matplotlib>` are listed in :file:`pyproject.toml` and can be
+installed using ::
 
+    pip install --group doc
 
 .. _doc-dependencies-external:
 
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index a629c782ac77..21f5c9052749 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #
 #   conda env create -f environment.yml
 #   conda activate mpl-dev
-#   pip install --verbose --no-build-isolation --editable ".[dev]"
+#   pip install --verbose --no-build-isolation --group dev --editable .
 #
 ---
 name: mpl-dev
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b2e5451818f4..d393ac4cab0b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ classifiers=[
 
 # When updating the list of dependencies, add an api_changes/development
 # entry and also update the following places:
+# - the `build` dependency group below
 # - lib/matplotlib/__init__.py (matplotlib._check_versions())
-# - requirements/testing/minver.txt
+# - ci/minver-requirements.txt
 # - doc/devel/dependencies.rst
-# - .github/workflows/tests.yml
 # - environment.yml
 dependencies = [
     "contourpy >= 1.0.1",
@@ -44,20 +44,6 @@ dependencies = [
 # Also keep in sync with find_program of meson.build.
 requires-python = ">=3.11"
 
-[project.optional-dependencies]
-# Should be a copy of the build dependencies below.
-dev = [
-    "meson-python>=0.13.1,!=0.17.*",
-    "pybind11>=2.13.2,!=2.13.3",
-    "setuptools_scm>=7",
-    # Not required by us but setuptools_scm without a version, cso _if_
-    # installed, then setuptools_scm 8 requires at least this version.
-    # Unfortunately, we can't do a sort of minimum-if-installed dependency, so
-    # we need to keep this for now until setuptools_scm _fully_ drops
-    # setuptools.
-    "setuptools>=64",
-]
-
 [project.urls]
 "Homepage" = "https://matplotlib.org"
 "Download" = "https://matplotlib.org/stable/install/index.html"
@@ -69,7 +55,7 @@ dev = [
 
 [build-system]
 build-backend = "mesonpy"
-# Also keep in sync with optional dependencies above.
+# Also keep in sync with dependency groups below.
 requires = [
     # meson-python 0.17.x breaks symlinks in sdists. You can remove this pin if
     # you really need it and aren't using an sdist.
@@ -78,6 +64,104 @@ requires = [
     "setuptools_scm>=7",
 ]
 
+[dependency-groups]
+build = [
+    # Should be the same as `[project] dependencies` above.
+    "contourpy >= 1.0.1",
+    "cycler >= 0.10",
+    "fonttools >= 4.22.0",
+    "kiwisolver >= 1.3.1",
+    "numpy >= 1.25",
+    "packaging >= 20.0",
+    "pillow >= 9",
+    "pyparsing >= 3",
+    "python-dateutil >= 2.7",
+
+    # Should be the same as `[build-system] requires` above.
+    "meson-python>=0.13.1,!=0.17.*",
+    "pybind11>=2.13.2,!=2.13.3",
+    "setuptools_scm>=7",
+    # Not required by us but setuptools_scm without a version, so _if_
+    # installed, then setuptools_scm 8 requires at least this version.
+    # Unfortunately, we can't do a sort of minimum-if-installed dependency, so
+    # we need to keep this for now until setuptools_scm _fully_ drops
+    # setuptools.
+    "setuptools>=64",
+]
+dev = [
+    {include-group = "build"},
+    {include-group = "doc"},
+    {include-group = "test"},
+    {include-group = "test-extra"},
+    "pre-commit",
+]
+# Requirements for building docs
+#
+# You will first need a matching Matplotlib installation
+# e.g (from the Matplotlib root directory)
+#     pip install --group build --no-build-isolation --editable .
+#
+# Install the documentation requirements with:
+#     pip install --group doc
+#
+doc = [
+    "sphinx>=5.1.0,!=6.1.2",
+    "colorspacious",
+    "ipython",
+    "ipywidgets",
+    "ipykernel",
+    "numpydoc>=1.0",
+    "mpl-sphinx-theme~=3.10.0",
+    "pyyaml",
+    "PyStemmer",
+    "sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter>=1.1.0",
+    "sphinxcontrib-video>=0.2.1",
+    "sphinx-copybutton",
+    "sphinx-design",
+    "sphinx-gallery[parallel]>=0.12.0",
+    "sphinx-tags>=0.4.0",
+]
+
+# pip requirements for all the CI builds
+test = [
+    "black<26",
+    "certifi",
+    "coverage!=6.3",
+    "psutil; sys_platform != 'cygwin'",
+    "pytest!=4.6.0,!=5.4.0,!=8.1.0",
+    "pytest-cov",
+    "pytest-rerunfailures!=16.0",
+    "pytest-timeout",
+    "pytest-xdist",
+    "pytest-xvfb",
+    "tornado",
+]
+
+# Extra pip requirements
+test-extra = [
+    "ipykernel",
+    # jupyter/nbconvert#1970 for the 7.3 series exclusions
+    "nbconvert[execute]!=6.0.0,!=6.0.1,!=7.3.0,!=7.3.1",
+    "nbformat!=5.0.0,!=5.0.1",
+    "pandas!=0.25.0",
+    "pikepdf",
+    "pytz",
+    "pywin32; sys_platform == 'win32'",
+    "xarray",
+]
+
+# Extra pip requirements for the GitHub Actions mypy build
+typing = [
+    "mypy>=1.9",
+    "typing-extensions>=4.6",
+    # Extra stubs distributed separately from the main pypi package
+    "pandas-stubs",
+    "types-pillow",
+    "types-python-dateutil",
+    "types-psutil",
+    "sphinx",
+]
+
 [tool.meson-python.args]
 install = ['--tags=data,python-runtime,runtime']
 
diff --git a/requirements/dev/build-requirements.txt b/requirements/dev/build-requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d2a098c3c4f..000000000000
--- a/requirements/dev/build-requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-pybind11>=2.13.2,!=2.13.3
-meson-python
-setuptools-scm
diff --git a/requirements/dev/dev-requirements.txt b/requirements/dev/dev-requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 3208949ba0e8..000000000000
--- a/requirements/dev/dev-requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
--r build-requirements.txt
--r ../doc/doc-requirements.txt
--r ../testing/all.txt
--r ../testing/extra.txt
-ruff
diff --git a/requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt b/requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 1a352eaae975..000000000000
--- a/requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-# Requirements for building docs
-#
-# You will first need a matching Matplotlib installation
-# e.g (from the Matplotlib root directory)
-#     pip install --no-build-isolation --editable .[dev]
-#
-# Install the documentation requirements with:
-#     pip install -r requirements/doc/doc-requirements.txt
-#
-sphinx>=5.1.0,!=6.1.2
-colorspacious
-ipython
-ipywidgets
-ipykernel
-numpydoc>=1.0
-packaging>=20
-mpl-sphinx-theme~=3.10.0
-pyyaml
-PyStemmer
-sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter>=1.1.0
-sphinxcontrib-video>=0.2.1
-sphinx-copybutton
-sphinx-design
-sphinx-gallery[parallel]>=0.12.0
-sphinx-tags>=0.4.0
diff --git a/requirements/testing/all.txt b/requirements/testing/all.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index dd1dbf3f29fd..000000000000
--- a/requirements/testing/all.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-# pip requirements for all the CI builds
-
-black<26
-certifi
-coverage!=6.3
-psutil
-pytest!=4.6.0,!=5.4.0,!=8.1.0
-pytest-cov
-pytest-rerunfailures!=16.0
-pytest-timeout
-pytest-xdist
-pytest-xvfb
-tornado
diff --git a/requirements/testing/extra.txt b/requirements/testing/extra.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index e0d84d71c781..000000000000
--- a/requirements/testing/extra.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-# Extra pip requirements
-
---prefer-binary
-ipykernel
-# jupyter/nbconvert#1970 for the 7.3 series exclusions
-nbconvert[execute]!=6.0.0,!=6.0.1,!=7.3.0,!=7.3.1
-nbformat!=5.0.0,!=5.0.1
-pandas!=0.25.0
-pikepdf
-pytz
-pywin32; sys.platform == 'win32'
-xarray
diff --git a/requirements/testing/mypy.txt b/requirements/testing/mypy.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 343517263f40..000000000000
--- a/requirements/testing/mypy.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-# Extra pip requirements for the GitHub Actions mypy build
-
-mypy>=1.9
-typing-extensions>=4.6
-
-# Extra stubs distributed separately from the main pypi package
-pandas-stubs
-types-pillow
-types-python-dateutil
-types-psutil
-
-sphinx
-
-# Default requirements, included here because mpl itself does not
-# need to be installed for mypy to run, but deps are needed
-# and pip has no --deps-only install command
-contourpy>=1.0.1
-cycler>=0.10
-fonttools>=4.22.0
-kiwisolver>=1.3.1
-packaging>=20.0
-pillow>=9
-pyparsing>=3
-python-dateutil>=2.7
-setuptools_scm>=7
-setuptools>=64
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 1d527a19ff52..956e4050cfa9 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ changedir = {tox_root}
 commands =
     python tools/stubtest.py
 usedevelop = False
-deps =
-    -r requirements/testing/mypy.txt
-    -r requirements/testing/all.txt
+dependency_groups =
+    build
+    typing