Pet care market value in the United Kingdom (UK) 2020, by category

Pet food was the category with the largest market value in the pet care industry in the United Kingdom (UK), generating a market value of 2.9 billion British pounds in 2020. Veterinary services had a market value of 2.1 billion pounds in that year.

Pet ownership in the UK

In the UK, approximately 59 percent of households own a pet, with the most popular pet type being a dog. In 2020/21, 33 percent of UK households owned a pet dog, compared to 27 percent who owned cats, and two percent who owned rabbits. As a result, the dog food market is the most profitable, valuing around 1.4 billion British pounds.

Dog food in the UK

As of 2021, approximately 12 million pet dogs were living in the United Kingdom. Due to the big number of dogs living in UK households, different brands compete in the dog food market in the UK, most notably Pedigree and Bakers. In 2020, Pedigree brands were dominating the market for dog biscuits, mixers, and treats. An estimated three million people in the UK were using any Pedigree product, compared to 1.2 million people buying dog biscuits, mixers and treats from Bakers. However, Bakers Complete was the leading brand of complete dry dog food in 2020, this time overtaking Pedigree Complete by a significant margin.