Urban pet market size in China 2011-2021

In 2021, China’s urban pet market reached approximately 249 billion yuan, increasing by more than 40 billion yuan compared to the previous year. The urban dog market contributed to 143 billion yuan of the market value, while the cat market took up around 106 billion yuan.

The soaring online pet economy

One can hardly deny that kittens and puppies have become the new superstars on Chinese social media. According to Douyin, one of China’s leading short-video platforms, content related to cats and dogs received more than 300 billion views. Many pet influencers have accumulated more than 10 million followers on their social media platforms. The pet craze has brought huge impacts to China’s e-commerce landscape. In 2020, China’s pet-related e-commerce market approached 30 billion yuan, nearly six-fold compared to 2015. According to a survey, approximately 14 percent of Chinese respondents said they would pay for products endorsed by a pet influencer.

The luxury pet market

China’s exploding pet economy has also left its paw-prints on the luxury industry. Many top-luxury brands such as Prada, Tiffany, and Louis Vuitton offered affluent pet owners a wide selection of products, ranging from collars to travel carriers. According to a survey among China’s millionaires, the average spend for this target group amounted to 8,200 yuan per pet each year. Furthermore, high-end pet services, such as pet photography and pet amusement parks, also attracted a growing number of pet owners in China.