Pet insurance
According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, (NAPHIA), pet insurance has existed outside the U.S. since the early 1900’s. Lassie, the famous TV collie, received the first pet insurance policy issued in the U.S. in 1982.
NAPHIA’s State of the Industry Report 2024 Highlights states that the total premium volume for pet insurance in the U.S. was $3.9 billion in 2023. The total number of pets insured in the U.S. at year-end 2023 was nearly 5.7 million, a 17 percent increase over 2022. The average accident and illness premium for dogs was $676 a year or $56 a month. The average accident and illness premium for cats was $383 a year or $32 a month. The largest share of insured pets reside in California, New York, and Florida. Dogs comprised the largest category of insured pets (80 percent versus cats at 20 percent).
Pet ownership in the United States
An estimated sixty-six percent of U.S. households, or about 86.9 million families, own a pet, according to the 2023-2024 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). This is up from 56 percent of U.S. households in 1988, the first year the survey was conducted.
Total pet industry expenditures in the U.S. totaled $147 billion in 2023, up 7.5 percent from $136.8 billion in 2022.
Number of U.S. Households That Own a Pet, by Type of Animal
| Pet | Number |
|---|---|
| Dog | 65.1 |
| Cat | 46.5 |
| Freshwater fish | 11.1 |
| Small animal | 6.7 |
| Bird | 6.1 |
| Reptile | 6.0 |
| Horse | 2.2 |
| Saltwater fish | 2.2 |
Source: American Pet Products Association's 2023-2024 National Pet Owners Survey.
Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures, 2014-2024 (1)
($ billions)
| Year | Expenditure (2) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $58.0 |
| 2015 | 60.3 |
| 2016 | 66.8 |
| 2017 | 69.5 |
| 2018 | 90.5 |
| 2019 | 97.1 |
| 2020 | 108.9 |
| 2021 | 123.6 |
| 2022 | 136.8 |
| 2023 | 147.0 |
| 2024 | 150.6 |
(1) Includes food, supplies and over-the-counter medicine, veterinary care, live animal purchases and grooming and boarding.
(2) Expenditures for 2018 to 2023 are actuals and 2024 is an estimate from the American Pet Products Association's 2023-2024 National Pet Owners Survey; expenditures for 2014 to 2017 are from earlier surveys.
Source: American Pet Products Association's National Pet Owners Surveys.
Basic Annual Expenses for Dogs and Cats (1)
| Expense | Dog | Cat |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical vet | $472 | $232 |
| Food | 354 | 300 |
| Routine visit | 250 | 198 |
| Kennel boarding | 315 | 105 |
| Food treats | 102 | 78 |
| Vitamins | 77 | 59 |
| Toys | 68 | 49 |
| Groomer/grooming aids | 37 | 39 |
(1) APPA does not ask survey participants how much in total they spend on their dog or cats annually. The expenses listed above are not all inclusive and each category was asked separately of the survey participant.
Note: Data provided by APPA for this specific chart is from the prior survey (2022-2023) and is not available from the most recent survey (2023-2024).
Source: American Pet Products Association's 2022-2023 National Pet Owners Survey.
