Americans spent a record $158 billion on their pets in 2025, and the American Pet Products Association projects that figure will climb to $165 billion in 2026. Pet ownership has become one of the most resilient consumer categories in the country, holding steady through inflation while younger owners pour more money than any generation before them into food, vet care, supplements and insurance. Here are 48 of the most useful, fully sourced numbers on where the pet industry stands in 2026.
Key pet industry statistics (the short version)
- US pet spending hit $158 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $165 billion in 2026. (APPA)
- 95 million US households own a pet, roughly 71.6% of all households. (APPA)
- 71 million households own a dog (53%) and 53 million own a cat (39%). (APPA)
- The global pet care market reached $181.9 billion in 2025 and is growing at a 5.9% CAGR toward $283.7 billion by 2033. (Grand View Research)
- Pet food and treats are the biggest spending category at $65.8 billion, ahead of vet care at $39.8 billion. (APPA)
- Morgan Stanley projects US pet spending will hit $261 billion by 2030, a 113% jump from 2019. (Morgan Stanley)
- Millennials (33%) and Gen Z (25%) now make up more than half of all US pet owners. (Statista)
- Gen Z owners spend about $6,103 per year on their pets, the most of any generation. (MetLife survey)
- The pet supplements market is on track to nearly double to $4.65 billion by 2033. (Grand View Research)
- 7.03 million pets are now insured in North America, up 20.9% in a single year. (NAPHIA)
Market size and growth
US pet spending reached $158 billion in 2025. That was a 3.7% increase over the prior year, and the APPA projects the total will rise to $165 billion in 2026, with growth near 4.4% (about 2% of that from inflation). (APPA)
The industry has climbed steadily from $147 billion in 2023 to $152 billion in 2024. Pet spending has now grown every single year for more than three decades, including through recessions. (APPA)
Globally, the pet care market was worth $181.9 billion in 2025. Grand View Research estimates it reaches $190.5 billion in 2026 and grows at a 5.9% compound annual rate to $283.7 billion by 2033. (Grand View Research)
North America accounts for 42.9% of the global pet care market. It remains the largest and most mature region for pet spending worldwide. (Grand View Research)
Morgan Stanley projects US pet industry spending will reach $261 billion by 2030. That is a 113% increase from the $122 billion spent in 2019, which the bank attributes to a long-running humanization trend it nicknamed the "petriarchy." (Morgan Stanley)
The headline keeps moving in one direction. Even cautious forecasts have spending climbing through the rest of the decade.
Pet ownership in the US
95 million US households own at least one pet in 2025. That works out to roughly 71.6% of all American households, a level that has barely moved despite economic pressure. (APPA)
71 million households own a dog (53%) and 53 million own a cat (39%). Dogs remain the most common pet, but cat ownership has hit record highs in recent surveys. (APPA)
Dog ownership rose 12% and cat ownership 8% year over year in the APPA's 2026 report. Smaller categories grew even faster: birds up 25%, reptiles up 20% and freshwater fish up 17%. (Animal Health News)
18.8 million Gen Z households owned a pet in 2024, a 43.5% jump from 2023. This generation also tends to own more animals, with 70% of Gen Z owners reporting two or more pets. (APPA)
Ownership is both wide and deepening. The newest owners are not just adopting, they are adopting in multiples.
Where the money goes (spending by category)
Pet food and treats are the largest category at $65.8 billion, about 43% of all pet spending. It is the single biggest line item by a wide margin and the most consistent year to year. (Pet Food Processing)
Vet care and product sales account for $39.8 billion, roughly 26%. Health spending is the fastest-rising slice as owners treat preventative care the way they treat their own. (APPA)
Supplies, live animals and OTC medicines total $33.3 billion (about 22%), and other services add $13 billion. Grooming, boarding, walking and training make up that services figure and keep growing as schedules fill up. (APPA)
Pet food and treat spending alone is projected at $67.8 billion for 2025. Food is where most households make their first and most frequent buying decision, which keeps it the anchor of the entire category. (APPA)
The pet food market
The US pet food market was worth $43.45 billion in 2024 and is growing at a 4.3% compound annual rate through 2030. (Grand View Research)
Dog food makes up 58.8% of US pet food revenue. Rising dog ownership and the tendency to treat dogs as family keep it the dominant segment. (Grand View Research)
Dry food still accounts for 59.5% of US pet food revenue. Convenience, shelf life and price keep kibble ahead of wet and fresh formats, even as fresh grows fastest. (Grand View Research)
The global pet food market is projected to reach $139.29 billion by 2030. Food remains the engine of the entire pet category worldwide. (Grand View Research)
Premiumization and fresh food
The US fresh pet food market is forecast to add $3.8 billion between 2025 and 2030, at a 21.3% annual growth rate. Fresh is the fastest-growing corner of pet food by a wide margin. (Technavio)
62% of fresh pet food products launched in 2022 featured human-grade protein, up from 45% in 2020. Free-range chicken and grass-fed beef have moved from novelty to baseline expectation. (Technavio)
About 40% of fresh pet food is now sold online, much of it on subscription. The format and the channel grew up together. (Technavio)
Freshpet posted 25 consecutive quarters of net sales growth above 25%, reaching $253.4 million in Q3 2024. It is the clearest public proof that fresh has moved from niche to mainstream. (SEC filing)
Owners are trading up. Cleaner labels and shorter ingredient lists now drive a large share of new purchases.
Pet supplements and wellness
The global pet supplements market reached $2.76 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit $4.65 billion by 2033, a 6.9% annual growth rate. Preventative wellness is one of the fastest-growing reasons owners open their wallets. (Grand View Research)
North America holds 48.1% of the pet supplements market, and dogs drive 63.1% of demand. Hip and joint is the leading need at 21.56%, and chewables are the most popular form at 69.8%. (Grand View Research)
Around 65% of pet owners now view their pets as family members, a mindset that fuels premium nutrition and supplement spending. Owners increasingly buy for longevity, not just maintenance. (Technavio)
This is the category to watch. Supplements ride the same humanization wave that pushed fresh food mainstream, and shoppers researching them often begin with the best pet supplement brands.
Online shopping and DTC
About 39% of US pet food sales now happen online. E-commerce has become the default channel for a huge share of routine pet buying. (Packaged Facts)
When omnichannel buyers are counted, online touches 64.2% of pet food dollars. Most purchases now involve a digital step even when the final transaction happens in a store. (Pet Food Industry / NielsenIQ)
20% of pet owners subscribe to pet food online, the most common pet subscription. Auto-replenishment has reshaped how brands keep customers. (Packaged Facts)
Chewy reported $3.12 billion in net sales for Q3 of fiscal 2025, with Autoship at 83% of net sales. The largest US online pet retailer shows just how sticky subscription-based pet buying has become. (SEC filing)
Who is buying (generational trends)
Millennials (33%) and Gen Z (25%) make up more than half of all US pet owners. The two youngest generations now set the direction of the entire market. (Statista)
Gen Z owners spend about $6,103 a year on their pets, ahead of millennials at $5,150. Both spend far more than older generations, and both are still ramping up. (MetLife survey)
62% of millennials and 52% of Gen Z spent more on their pets in the past year. And 44% of Gen Z owners buy specialized or premium pet food, the highest of any generation. (MetLife survey)
34% of consumers say they intend to get a pet, up from 28% in 2022, led by 18-to-34-year-olds. The pipeline of new owners skews young, which points to years of further growth. (Morgan Stanley)
97% of US pet owners consider their pet part of the family. Among Gen Z, 72% say so and roughly half describe their pet as an actual child, versus 58% of millennials. (Pet Food Industry)
Pet insurance and health spending
North American pet insurance written premium hit $5.2 billion in 2024, up 20.8% in a year. Insurance is one of the fastest-growing pet categories of all. (NAPHIA)
7.03 million pets are now insured in North America, a 20.9% jump from the prior year. Dogs make up 75.6% of insured pets and cats 23.5%. (NAPHIA)
US pet insurance penetration is still only 5.46% for dogs and 2.04% for cats. The vast majority of pets remain uninsured, which is why the category keeps posting 20%-plus annual growth. (NAPHIA)
A routine vet visit averaged about $214 for dogs and $138 for cats in 2025. Veterinary services rose 5.3% year over year as of early 2026, outpacing general inflation. (Capital One Shopping)
Sustainability and packaging
67% of pet owners aged 18 to 34 prefer brands that limit their environmental impact, versus 58% of all US pet food buyers. Younger owners weigh sustainability more heavily in what they buy. (Printpack)
53% of owners are actively cutting plastic and 42% prefer sustainable packaging. The intent is clearly there in survey data. (Printpack)
Only 12% to 16% of owners say they will actually pay more for eco-labeled pet food. The gap between stated values and willingness to pay remains the real constraint on sustainable pet products. (Printpack)
How shoppers are choosing pet brands in 2026
With spending at record highs and hundreds of brands competing, owners increasingly start from a researched shortlist instead of grabbing whatever is on the shelf. The premiumization and humanization trends in the data above show up most clearly in food, where buyers compare ingredients, sourcing and reviews before committing. That is why most shoppers begin with a curated list, whether that is the best dog food brands, the best cat food brands, or the best pet supplement brands for the wellness side of the basket.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the pet industry in 2026?
US pet spending reached $158 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit $165 billion in 2026, according to the American Pet Products Association. The global pet care market sat at roughly $181.9 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow toward $283.7 billion by 2033.
What percentage of US households own a pet?
About 95 million US households, roughly 71.6% of all households, own at least one pet as of 2025. Dogs are in 53% of households and cats in 39%, per APPA survey data.
How much does the average person spend on their pet per year?
It varies widely by generation and pet type. Gen Z owners spend about $6,103 a year and millennials about $5,150, while a single routine vet visit averages around $214 for a dog and $138 for a cat.
What is the fastest-growing part of the pet industry?
Fresh pet food and pet insurance are among the fastest growers. US fresh pet food is forecast to grow at a 21.3% annual rate through 2030, and North American pet insurance premiums rose more than 20% in 2024 alone.
How much of pet food is bought online?
About 39% of US pet food sales happen online directly, but when omnichannel shoppers are included, online touches roughly 64% of pet food dollars. Subscription buying, led by services like Autoship, is a big reason the channel keeps growing.
Which generation spends the most on pets?
Gen Z spends the most per owner at around $6,103 a year, followed by millennials. Together these two generations make up more than half of all US pet owners and set the direction of the market.
Are pet supplements actually a growing category?
Yes. The global pet supplements market reached $2.76 billion in 2025 and is projected to nearly double to $4.65 billion by 2033, growing at about 6.9% a year. Hip-and-joint support for dogs is the single largest use case.