Analysis and forecast of the growth in China pet industry

In the current era background, social media and short videos are significantly impacting people's lives, providing increasingly diverse and rapid access to information. The growing population of single people and rising emotional needs, changed people’s attitudes toward pet ownership and the evolving role of pets.And this made a rapid growth to pet market in China.There are some analysis for this phenomenon.

1. Relationship Between Social Background and Pet Market Growth

With the progress of urbanization and evolving attitudes toward marriage, the proportion of single people continues to grow. Pets are becoming emotional companions and a partner of their life. In modern society, fast-paced lifestyles and work stress amplify emotional demands. Pets provide companionship and emotional support, fulfilling people's need for intimate relationships. In the past, pets are just animals. But , they are increasingly regarded as family members today, even as "children" or "companions." This shift in perception has driven upgrades in pet consumption.

2. Market Scale and Growth Drivers

According to a report by the China Commerce Industry Research Institute (2025-2030 China Pet Industry Market Outlook and Future Development Trends Report), China's pet market reached 279.3 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 3.2%. Analysts predict the market will grow to 300.2 billion yuan in 2024 and 331.1 billion yuan in 2025.

Pet owners increase the needs in pet health, diet, and entertainment, fueling demand for high quality pet food, medical care, toys and lifestyle products. In Social media and Tiktok, people share their pets and these platform became an amplifier for pet culture, normalizing pet ownership and stimulating market expansion. In addition, as China's elderly population grows, pets play a significant role in alleviating loneliness and improving quality of life for seniors.

3. Future Trends

In the future, personalized pet services (e.g., smart pet tech, premium grooming, pet insurance) will become mainstream because of the diversified demands arise. And the standard of related industry will emerge. It will Enhanced regulation of pet food safety, medical services, and breeding practices will improve market quality.What’s more, Eco-friendly pet products and low-carbon pet care models will align with societal environmental goals.

This growth reflects deeper societal shifts in emotional needs and lifestyle values, positioning the pet industry as a vital component of China's "loneliness economy" and consumption upgrade era.