China's Pet Economy Hits CN¥ 593B as Cats Overtake Dogs
By Quan Wenjun
5 min read
Executive Summary#
China's pet economy reached CN¥ 592.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to exceed CN¥ 800 billion by 2025, driven by rising pet humanization and a decisive structural shift toward cat ownership[1]. The online pet market hit CN¥ 80.28 billion over the past rolling year, but a stark divergence between +1.5% revenue growth and +23.3% volume growth signals aggressive price competition across all segments. This analysis examines the market's decade-long expansion, the cat-versus-dog ownership shift reshaping brand strategy, and the competitive dynamics defining China's online pet market.
Download Full Report
Get the complete analysis with additional data, methodology details, and brand-level insights across cat and dog consumer markets.
Download the Full Q3 2024 Pet Consumer Market Whitepaper -->
A Decade of Sustained Growth#
China's pet economy expanded from CN¥ 122 billion in 2016 to CN¥ 592.8 billion in 2023, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 25%[1]. Growth peaked at +33.5% in both 2020 and 2021, coinciding with pandemic-era pet adoption surges as homebound consumers sought companionship.
The market trajectory reveals a maturing pattern: growth rates have gradually moderated from the +33.5% peak to +20.1% in 2023, and are projected to further normalize to +18.3% in 2024 and +15.7% in 2025. Despite this deceleration, the absolute market expansion remains substantial -- the projected CN¥ 108.5 billion increase from 2023 to 2024 alone exceeds the total market size in 2016.
Three converging factors underpin the sustained growth:
- Rising pet humanization, with owners treating pets as family members
- Increasing disposable income among urban Millennials and Gen Z
- Premiumization of pet products as owners demand higher-quality nutrition and healthcare
China's pet economy sustained decade-long expansion, reaching CN¥ 592.8 billion in 2023 with +20.1% YoY growth
Cats Overtake Dogs in Ownership and Spending#
Cat ownership reached 60.7% in 2022, up from 46.0% in 2020 -- a +14.7 percentage point increase in just two years[1]. Dogs maintained a relatively stable share near 51% across the same period, indicating that cat adoption represents net new pet ownership rather than substitution.
Several factors drive the cat preference: cats require less living space (critical in China's apartment-dominant urban housing), lower daily maintenance effort, and appeal strongly to the single-person and young professional demographics that represent the fastest-growing household segment. The apartment-friendly nature of cat ownership also explains why the cat-to-dog ratio widened most dramatically during 2020-2022, when urban residents spent extended periods at home during the pandemic era.
Cats surpassed dogs in ownership share by 2020, reaching 60.7% versus 51.3% in 2022
Cat consumer market projected to overtake dog market by 2025E, reaching CN¥ 164.5 billion versus CN¥ 166.8 billion
Online Market: Volume Surges but Prices Fall#
The online pet consumer market reached CN¥ 80.28 billion over the past rolling year (June 2023-May 2024), posting a modest +1.5% year-on-year increase[1]. However, sales volume surged +23.3% YoY to 1.38 billion units, revealing a significant divergence between revenue and volume growth that points to intensifying price competition.
The volume-price divergence is the most strategically significant finding: a +23.3% volume increase alongside just +1.5% revenue growth implies an average price decline of approximately 18%. This level of price erosion signals a market where brands are competing primarily on price rather than differentiation, creating margin pressure across the value chain.
Online pet market reached CN¥ 80.28 billion with +1.5% revenue growth but +23.3% volume growth, indicating aggressive price competition
About Our Data
This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering Q3 2024. Moojing gathers e-commerce and social media data from China's top platforms, with reports generated through our team of market analysts. Our coverage spans major e-commerce and social platforms, representing a significant share of China's online retail market.
Request a free trial to explore our data platform.
Key Takeaways#
- China's pet economy reached CN¥ 592.8 billion in 2023, growing +20.1% YoY with a projected CN¥ 811.4 billion by 2025
- Cat ownership reached 60.7% in 2022, decisively overtaking dogs (51.3%) and driving a cat-first market reorientation
- Cat consumer spending grew CN¥ 7.4 billion in 2023 -- nearly 6x the dog market's CN¥ 1.3 billion increment
- The online pet market hit CN¥ 80.28 billion, but +23.3% volume growth versus +1.5% revenue growth signals ~18% average price erosion
- Pet food (50.7%) and healthcare (29.1%) account for 79.8% of total spending, confirming non-discretionary categories dominate
## About the Data
This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察) data covering Q3 2024.
Moojing tracks 400,000+ brands across 30+ e-commerce platforms,
representing 58-65% of China's online retail GMV. For full methodology
and additional insights, see the complete Pet Consumer Market whitepaper.
This content adheres to Moojing's editorial standards .
Frequently Asked Questions
CN¥ 592.8 billion in 2023, up +20.1% year on year and projected to exceed CN¥ 800 billion by 2025. The decade behind it is the context: the market went from CN¥ 122 billion in 2016 at a compound rate near 25%, peaking at +33.5% in both 2020 and 2021 during pandemic-era adoption. Growth is now moderating — +20.1% in 2023, a projected +18.3% in 2024 and +15.7% in 2025 — but the absolute expansion stays large. The projected CN¥ 108.5 billion increase from 2023 to 2024 alone exceeds the entire market size in 2016.
Because cat adoption was net new ownership rather than substitution. Cat ownership reached 60.7% in 2022 from 46.0% in 2020 — a +14.7 percentage point gain in two years — while dogs held roughly stable near 51%. The drivers are structural: cats need less living space, which matters in apartment-dominant urban housing, require lower daily maintenance, and appeal to the single-person and young-professional households that are the fastest-growing segment. The spending follows. Cat consumer spending grew CN¥ 7.4 billion in 2023 against CN¥ 1.3 billion for dogs, and the cat market is projected at CN¥ 164.5 billion against CN¥ 166.8 billion for dogs by 2025.
It is eroding sharply. The online pet market reached CN¥ 80.28 billion over a rolling year with revenue up just +1.5%, while volume surged +23.3% to 1.38 billion units. That combination implies average prices falling by roughly 18%. It is the most strategically significant number in the dataset, because it says brands are competing on price rather than differentiation and margin pressure is running through the whole value chain. The practical question for a brand is which side of that divergence its own numbers sit on — growing units at falling prices is a share strategy, not a profit one.
Overwhelmingly into non-discretionary categories. Pet food accounts for 50.7% of total spending and healthcare 29.1% — together 79.8%, close to four-fifths of the market. That concentration is what makes the category resilient: an owner who treats a pet as a family member does not stop buying food or veterinary care when spending tightens, which is why the market kept compounding through a period when many discretionary categories did not. It also means accessories, apparel and toys compete for a far smaller residual pool than the headline market size suggests.
