Pandemic Drives Increase in Pet Ownership Globally
Around the world, pet ownership rose in response to COVID lockdowns as people chose to adopt a pet to keep them company at home. Data from the UK illustrates this trend. While 54% of UK adults owned a pet in May 2020, by May 2021, the number had risen to 57%.1 29% of the pets adopted went to households without any other pets, while 71% joined households with pre-pandemic pets.2
This increase in pet ownership (which included many first-time pet owners) has helped support recent growth and innovation in the pet food category. The number of new pet food launches in 2020 grew 1.3% globally over the prior year, with the largest share (7.4%) launched in the US.3
Just as people have been focusing on preventative health measures for themselves throughout the pandemic, they have also shown a high awareness of the importance of preventative health in general for their pets. In the US, a whopping 88% of pet owners say it’s important to take preventative measures to protect a pet’s health.4 In fact, health is a major theme emerging in pet food trends.