A lot of pet owners now think of their pets as part of the family. — Pexels
A Goldman Sachs report said that for the first time in 2024, the number of pets in China had surpassed the number of children under the age of four. It further projects that by 2030, the former will nearly double the latter in number, reported Xinhua.
As reference, China was home to 73.4 million infants and toddlers under four years old in 2021, a number that has dwindled in recent years due to birth rate declines.
When compared with the 2025 China Pet Industry White Paper, however, Goldman Sachs' calculation was quite conservative.
The white paper noted that the pet population in China's urban area alone had reached 120 million in 2024, with the urban pet (dog and cat) consumption market exceeding CNY300bil (RM182.9bil).
Latest data released by China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development showed that China had an urban population of around 930 million in 2023, which means, on average, one out of every eight urban residents, regardless of age or gender, owns a pet.
Along with that is an explosive pet product consumption market in China, the world's second-largest economy and most populous country.
It's not just China's young folks who dote on their pets, the older generation also treat them very, very well. — MELODY L. GOH/The Star
Previously, people would call their pets "friends" – it was all about companionship. But today, the new generation of pet owners treat their pets like their own flesh and blood. It is not just a name change, but a whole new level of love and care.
Shen Jing pampers her "fur baby" in every aspect of its life. From meticulously choosing high-quality dog food brands, and ordering custom-made treats and toys, to scheduling regular trips to the grooming parlour and occasionally splurging on creative styling, the 23-year-old Shen Jing treats her golden retriever as if it were her own child."
I spend around CNY1,500 (RM915) per month on my dog, mostly on food, snacks and toys, with some going towards healthcare expenses," she shares.
Pet owners are generous parents, with some willing to pay a jaw-dropping CNY5,867 (RM3,558) just for a pet toilet, far exceeding average prices for a human version.
Third time's the charm
In the 20th century, during the pet economy 1.0 era, pets were primarily kept for practical purposes – dogs for guarding homes, cats for catching mice, and chickens for producing eggs.
By the 2000s, the pet economy 2.0 era emerged, which was marked by a shift toward companionship, as people began to value pets for emotional interaction.
Since 2015, the pet economy has evolved into the 3.0 era, where pets have achieved an elevated status, accompanied by a niche market serving diversified, pet-oriented consumption needs.
Around four years ago, Three Squirrels, a prominent Chinese snack brand, launched a subsidiary focused exclusively on dog food.
This move into pet food production is far from a downgrade. In fact, some pet food standards surpass even those for human food as the animals' digestive systems, metabolic processes, and physiological structure are individually different.
Hu Zimeng, general manager of Jiangsu Weihong Pet Products in Jiangsu Province, east China, said that their sales of pet snacks maintained an annual growth rate of over 10% in recent years.
This trend highlights the increasing demand for premium pet products and underscores the evolving view of pets as beloved members, especially pampered babies of the family.
Currently, the pet industry chain can be broadly categorised into three segments. The upstream segment primarily covers breeding and trading, while the midstream segment includes products such as pet food, supplies, toys, and apparel.
The downstream segment is service-driven, encompassing pet grooming, boarding, photography, medical care, insurance, and funeral services. The downstream services, in particular, are witnessing remarkable growth trends.
Services like single-furnace cremation, ash storage, grooming after passing, custom memorabilia, and farewell ceremonies are now widely available. In the past six months alone, over 1,100 new pet funeral businesses have popped up, according to Tianyancha, a corporate information provider.
The 2024 edition of trademark categories has added a new one for pet jewellery, which reflects the market's positive response to the growing demand for pet-related products.
Data from iiMedia Research shows that China's pet industry market size is expected to reach CNY811.4bil (RM495.85bil) by 2025, indicating a broad development prospect.
In this regard, industry insiders believe that the development of the pet economy can be supported through measures such as promoting legislation, strengthening supervision and improving services, and expanding pet-themed projects. – Bernama-Xinhua
