Pet Industry Market Size, Trends & Ownership Statistics

U.S. Pet Industry Spending Figures & Future Outlook

Please note, the overall 2019 and estimated 2020 sales figures are higher than those in previously reported industry expenditures, which is a result of APPA’s efforts to refine and improve its research methodology. In some cases, categories have been revised to include services or products that were previously excluded as reliable data was difficult to obtain. Current figures are based on a review analysis of the most recent data from the top three research firms studying the pet industry–Nielsen, Euromonitor and Packaged Facts–combined with insight from industry experts and leading pet retailers, confirming underlying data.    

Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures

Year                 Billions of dollars

2020                 $99.0 Estimated
2019                 $95.7 Actual
2018                 $90.5 (2018 figures have been restated using APPA’s new research methodology.)

Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2019

In 2019, $95.7 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. 

Breakdown:                                           
Pet Food & Treats                                                                   $36.9 billion 
Supplies, Live Animals & OTC Medicine                           $19.2 billion
Vet Care & Product Sales                                                     $29.3 billion
Other Services                                                                         $10.3 billion  
(Other Services include boarding, grooming, insurance, training, pet sitting and walking and all services outside of veterinary care)

Estimated 2020 Sales within the U.S. Market

For 2020, it estimated that $99.0 billion will be spent on our pets in the U.S.

Estimated Breakdown:                                          
Pet Food & Treats                                                                   $38.4 billion 
Supplies, Live Animals & OTC Medicine                           $19.8 billion
Vet Care & Product Sales                                                     $30.2 billion
Other Services                                                                         $10.7 billion  
(Other Services include boarding, grooming, insurance, training, pet sitting and walking and all services outside of veterinary care)

Data sources and notes 

Pet Food & Treats:  Source:  Nielsen Scan – 52 Weeks ending 12/28/2019 for xAOC+C and Pet Retail. Ecommerce pet food sales data powered by Rakuten Intelligence. Pet food sales for 2019 in Vet clinics, Farm & Feed, Direct-to-Consumer, Costco were estimated using industry/financial reports and any available data for either of these channels. Other pet food categories not tracked by Nielsen were obtained from Euromonitor data.  

Pet Supplies Live Animals & OTC Medicine:  Pet Supplies and OTC Meds are based on data provided by Euromonitor and Packaged Facts.  Live Animals includes fish, birds, small animals and reptile and is based on APPA estimates and data provided by leading retailers and industry suppliers. 

Vet Care & Product Sales:  Includes routine veterinary care, surgical procedures and sales of pharmaceuticals and other products, excluding food, through veterinary clinics and is based on data provided by AVMA and Packaged Facts. 

Other Services:  Includes grooming, training, boarding, insurance, Pet sitting/walking and all services outside of Vet Care and is based on data provided by Packaged Facts. 

All data was reviewed and validated by industry experts and leading pet retailers and manufacturers.

Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures 

Year                 Billions of dollars

2021                 $123.6  Actual   
2020                 $103.6 
2019                 $97.1
2018                 $90.5 

Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2021

In 2021, $123.6 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. 

Breakdown:                                           
Pet Food & Treats                                                                   $50.0 billion 
Supplies, Live Animals & OTC Medicine                           $29.8 billion
Vet Care & Product Sales                                                     $34.3 billion
Other Services                                                                         $9.5 billion  
(Other Services include boarding, grooming, insurance, training, pet sitting and walking and all services outside of veterinary care)

Data sources and notes 

Source information:

• Pet Food & Treats:  Source:  Nielsen Scan – 52 Weeks ending 01/01/2022 for xAOC and Total Pet Retail. Ecommerce pet food sales data powered by Rakuten Intelligence. Pet food sales for 2021 in Vet clinics, Farm & Feed, Direct-to-Consumer,  and Costco were estimated using industry/financial reports and any available data for either of these channels.
• Pet Supplies Live Animals & OTC Medicine:  Pet Supplies and OTC Meds are based on data provided by Nielsen Scan, Rakutan Intelligence and Packaged Facts.  Live Animals includes fish, birds, small animals and reptile and is based on APPA estimates and data provided by leading retailers and industry suppliers.
• Vet Care & Product Sales:  Includes routine veterinary care, surgical procedures and sales of pharmaceuticals and other products through veterinary clinics and is based on data provided by AVMA and Packaged Facts.. Excludes food and treat sales.
• Other Services:  Includes grooming, training, boarding, insurance, Pet sitting/walking and all services outside of Vet Care and is based on data provided by Packaged Facts as well as leading industry retailers. 

All data was reviewed and validated by industry experts and leading pet retailers and manufacturers.

Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures 

Year                 Billions of dollars

2022                 $136.8  Actual   
2021                 $123.6  
2020                 $108.9 
2019                 $97.1
2018                 $90.5 

Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2022

In 2022, $136.8 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. 

Breakdown (Actual)
                                        
Pet Food & Treats                                                                   $58.1 billion 
Supplies, Live Animals & OTC Medicine                           $31.5 billion
Vet Care & Product Sales                                                     $35.9 billion
Other Services*                                                                      $11.4 billion  

Total                                                                                          $136.8 billion  

*Other Services include boarding, grooming, insurance, training, pet sitting and walking and all services outside of veterinary care

Projected Sales within the U.S. Market in 2023 

In 2023, a total of $143.6 billion in sales is projected in the U.S.   

Breakdown (Projected)
                               
Pet Food & Treats                                                                   $62.7 billion 
Supplies, Live Animals & OTC Medicine                           $32.1 billion
Vet Care & Product Sales                                                     $37.0 billion
Other Services*                                                                      $11.8 billion   

Total                                                                                       $143.6 billion  

Data sources and notes 

• Pet Food & Treats – Source: Nielsen Scan – 52 Weeks ending 12/31/2022 for xAOC and Total Pet Retail. E-commerce pet food sales data powered by Rakuten Intelligence. Pet food sales for 2022 in Vet clinics, Farm & Feed, Direct-to-Consumer,  and Costco were estimated using industry/financial reports and any available data for either of these channels.
• Pet Supplies Live Animals & OTC Medicine: Pet Supplies and OTC Meds are based on data provided by Nielsen Scan, Rakutan Intelligence and Packaged Facts. Live Animals includes fish, birds, small animals and reptiles and is based on APPA estimates and data provided by leading retailers and industry suppliers.
• Vet Care & Product Sales: Includes routine veterinary care, surgical procedures and sales of pharmaceuticals and other products through veterinary clinics and is based on data provided by AVMA, Packaged Facts, and industry sources. Excludes food and treat sales.
• Other Services: Includes grooming, training, boarding, insurance, pet sitting/walking and all services outside of Vet Care and is based on data provided by Packaged Facts and leading industry retailers.

All data was reviewed and validated by industry experts and leading pet retailers and manufacturers.

Pet Ownership Statistics from the 2023-2024 APPA National Pet Owners Survey

According to the 2023-2024 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 66% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 86.9 million households.
 

Estimated Number of U.S. Households that Own a Pet

Bird                                         6.1 million
Cat                                          46.5 million
Dog                                        65.1 million
Horse                                     2.2 million
Freshwater Fish                 11.1 million
Saltwater Fish                    2.2 million
Reptile                                 6.0 million
Small Animal                      6.7 million 

Pet Ownership by Generation (% of Current Pet Owners) 

Generation Z                       16%
Millennial                              33%
Generation X                        25%
Baby Boomer                       24%
Builder                                   2% 

2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey Statistics: Pet Ownership & Annual Expenses  

According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 90.5 millions homes.

In 1988, the first year the survey was conducted, 56% of U.S. households owned a pet.

Breakdown of pet ownership in the U.S. according to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey

Number of U.S. Households that Own a Pet (millions)

Pet Ownership by Generation (% of Current Pet Owners)

Average Amount Spent on Common Pet Categories in the Past 12 Months 

The incredible variety of pet care categories makes it difficult to compare amounts spent across different pet species. The list below is included to give the reader an idea of the types of categories included in the Survey but is not exhaustive of all the expenses captured in the individual pet species report sections.   It reports an approximate dollar amount based on consumer recollection of their spending in the prior 12 months. As such, the dollar amounts should not be added to report total spending in the prior 12 months.

According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, some of the basic annual expenses for dog and cat owners in dollars include: 

                                                      Dogs     Cats    
Surgical Vet Visits                   $458     $201
Routine Vet                               $242     $178      
Food                                             $287     $254       
Food Treats                                $81       $72
Kennel Boarding                      $228     $78 
Vitamins                                      $81       $47
Grooming aids/brushes         $47       $31
Toys                                               $56      $41  

**Note: APPA does not ask Survey Participants how much in total they spend on their dog or cats annually. The expenses listed above are not all inclusive and each category was asked separately of the survey participant.