Generational share of pet ownership in the United States 2023

During a survey conducted in 2023, it was revealed that millennials represented the biggest share of pet owners in the United States (33 percent), followed in second place by Generation X (25 percent). Baby Boomer's came in third, representing some 24 percent of pet owners.

Pet ownership in the United States

Despite some fluctuations, household penetration rates for pet ownership in the United States have generally increased over the years, going from 56 percent in 1988 to approximately 66 percent in 2023. With millennials constituting the largest group of pet owners in the United States, they also constituted the generational group that planned to spend the most on their pets during the holidays in 2020, with an average spending of 51 U.S. dollars, compared to only 28 U.S. dollars of average planned spending on pets for Baby Boomers.

Pet expenditure in the U.S.

Pet food and treats constituted the highest selling category for pet products in the United States, with total food and treats sales reaching 58.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Vet care and product sales were the second biggest pet market category that year, generating around 35.9 billion U.S. dollars in sales. Generally, average annual pet expenditure was higher for dog owners than for cat owners across all pet market categories in 2020.