Global pet insurance is projected to rise from $2.9 billion to $8.6 billion, growing at a 14.1% CAGR. Over the same period, the global pet care market is forecast to reach $97.3 billion by 2031. Adoption and access still move at human timelines, with U.S. pet owners waiting a median of 8 days for a veterinary appointment.
Key Takeaways
- $79.3 billion projected global pet care market size in 2024
- $97.3 billion projected global pet care market size by 2031
- Global pet care market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2031
- 70% of consumers say they would pay more for better-quality pet food
- The U.S. pet market is projected to reach $229.4 billion by 2030 (global pet care forecasts using CAGR 6.2% starting from 2023)
- The animal shelter intake in the U.S. was 6.2 million animals in 2019 (ASPCA report)
- 18.5% of U.S. pet owners use pet insurance
- Microchipping penetration in U.S. dogs was 20% in 2014 and 36% in 2022 (estimate based on surveys)
- In 2019, 45% of pet owners used fecal testing or parasite prevention products purchased from veterinarians (U.S.)
- A 2021 study found pet owners waited a median of 8 days to get a veterinary appointment (survey).
- In a 2019-2020 study, the median time to adoption for shelter dogs was 13 days
- In a 2019-2020 study, the median time to adoption for shelter cats was 19 days
Rapid growth across pet care, nutrition, and insurance highlights rising investment in companion animal wellbeing.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size15 stats
01
$79.3 billion projected global pet care market size in 2024
02
$97.3 billion projected global pet care market size by 2031
03
Global pet care market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2031
04
$232.0 billion global animal healthcare market size in 2023
05
$276.5 billion projected global animal healthcare market size by 2030
06
North America accounted for 39.0% share of the global animal healthcare market in 2023
07
The global pet insurance market size was $2.9 billion in 2022
08
The global pet insurance market is projected to reach $8.6 billion by 2030
09
The global pet insurance market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.1% from 2023 to 2030
10
The global companion animal nutrition market size was $73.7 billion in 2023
11
The global companion animal nutrition market is projected to reach $111.6 billion by 2032
12
The global companion animal nutrition market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2032
13
2.0 million U.S. Americans work in the animal care and service occupations (NAICS 2010/2018 basis) in 2023
14
Employment of veterinary technologists and technicians in the U.S. was 122,380 in May 2023
15
Employment of veterinarians in the U.S. was 86,200 in May 2023
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global pet care market rising from $79.3 billion in 2024 to $97.3 billion by 2031 at a 5.8% CAGR and pet insurance surging from $2.9 billion in 2022 to $8.6 billion by 2030 at a 14.1% CAGR, demand for companion animal health and coverage is clearly accelerating.
02 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
70% of consumers say they would pay more for better-quality pet food
02
The U.S. pet market is projected to reach $229.4 billion by 2030 (global pet care forecasts using CAGR 6.2% starting from 2023)
03
The animal shelter intake in the U.S. was 6.2 million animals in 2019 (ASPCA report)
04
Telemedicine appointments increased 50% year over year in 2020 in the U.S. veterinary market (survey).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With the U.S. pet market set to hit $229.4 billion by 2030 and telemedicine appointments jumping 50% year over year in 2020, demand is clearly accelerating while 70% of consumers say they would pay more for better-quality pet food and shelters still took in 6.2 million animals in 2019.
More related reading
03 · Category
User Adoption9 stats
01
18.5% of U.S. pet owners use pet insurance
02
Microchipping penetration in U.S. dogs was 20% in 2014 and 36% in 2022 (estimate based on surveys)
03
In 2019, 45% of pet owners used fecal testing or parasite prevention products purchased from veterinarians (U.S.)
04
In a 2021 survey, 34% of cat owners fed their cats wet food at least daily
05
In a 2021 survey, 52% of dog owners fed dry food at least daily
06
In 2023, 38% of U.S. dog owners purchased treats as part of their regular shopping
07
In 2023, 31% of U.S. cat owners purchased cat litter online
08
In 2020, 14% of U.S. households had pet app usage (pet tracking/health apps)
09
In a 2022 survey, 41% of pet owners used curbside or mobile checkout for pet retail purchases
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
With microchipping rising from 20% in 2014 to 36% in 2022 and pet insurance reaching 18.5% of U.S. owners, the data shows steady growth in preventive care adoption while shopping habits also shift online and mobile, such as 31% of cat owners buying litter online and 41% using curbside or mobile checkout.
04 · Category
Performance Metrics17 stats
01
A 2021 study found pet owners waited a median of 8 days to get a veterinary appointment (survey).
02
In a 2019-2020 study, the median time to adoption for shelter dogs was 13 days
03
In a 2019-2020 study, the median time to adoption for shelter cats was 19 days
04
In 2023, median pricing for spay/neuter surgeries at U.S. clinics was $200
05
In a U.S. claims dataset study, pet insurance reduced out-of-pocket costs by a median of 68%
06
In a 2022 insurer benchmark, claims approval rate for comprehensive policies averaged 93%
07
In a 2020 study, veterinary telemedicine consultations had an average session duration of 12 minutes
08
In a 2021 survey, 81% of veterinary telehealth users reported improved access to care
09
In a U.S. pet insurance study, average deductible was $250in 2021
10
In a 2020 U.S. study, treatment adherence for chronic pet conditions was 74% with digital reminders
11
A 2022 study reported that electronic medical records in veterinary practices reduced charting time by 23%
12
In 2020, median shelter length of stay was 21 days for dogs and 18 days for cats (U.S. shelter study).
13
In a 2018-2021 U.S. study, 62% of pets received preventive care annually
14
In a 2021 study, 46% of veterinary patients had no documented weight recorded at each visit (documentation metric).
15
In a 2020 audit, average vaccination compliance for core vaccines was 82%
16
In a 2022 survey, 73% of vet hospitals used barcode or scanning for medication management
17
In a 2021 study, 38% of veterinary practices used online payment methods
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across the companion animal industry, care is moving faster but still uneven, with pet owners waiting a median of 8 days for veterinary appointments while telemedicine sessions average just 12 minutes and median shelter adoptions take 13 days for dogs and 19 days for cats.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Companion Animal Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/companion-animal-industry-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Companion Animal Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/companion-animal-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Companion Animal Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/companion-animal-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)