How COVID-19 affected pet ownership in the U.S. 2020-2022

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many industries in significant ways, including the pet industry. During a survey carried out in February 2022, 14 percent of respondents in the United States reported acquiring a new pet. This is an increase of four percent compared to December 2020, when 10 percent of respondents reported getting a new pet.

Pet ownership during the pandemic

With nationwide lockdowns forcing people to spend most of their time confined at home, approximately 70 percent of Americans from all generations surveyed in 2020 reported spending more time with their pets as a result of social distancing regulations. Additionally, the pandemic had its impact on the economic situation of millions of people who may have struggled with precarious work or part-time employment that was discontinued due to lockdowns, which made many pet owners concerned about the affordability of pet food and products. In fact, younger generations like Gen Z and Millennials in the United States were more likely than Baby Boomers to be worried about pet expenses during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Pet industry in the United States

Pet industry expenditure in the United States has witnessed remarkable growth over the years and was forecast to reach nearly 110 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, up from less than half that figure only ten years prior when it was approximately 51 billion U.S. dollars in 2011. Among the most prominent players in the U.S. pet industry are pet food companies Mars Petcare Inc. and Nestlé Purina Petcare, generating 18 billion and 14 billion U.S. dollars in revenues, respectively.