Pet ownership in the UK - statistics & facts

UK pet expenditure

As the pet population has increased in size, so has the amount of money that consumers spend on their pets. Consumer spending on pets and related products reached an all-time high of 7.88 billion GBP in 2020, almost double the figure which was spent on pets ten years previously. The cost of owning a dog in the UK was estimated reach around 1,800 GBP per year. Major costs included boarding, pet insurance, and food. These three categories amounted for over 50 percent of total annual expenditure. The average annual insurance costs for dogs vary widely by the type of policy taken out. For example, the average cost of a lifetime policy was around 332 GBP, while accident only cost around 64 GBP.

Popular pets in the UK

Dogs most recently ranked as the most popular type of pet in the UK. According to a survey, around one-third of UK households owned at least one dog. Cats followed in second place, with the share of UK households owning a feline friend reaching 27 percent. Indoor birds and rabbits trailed in joint third place, with around two percent of households owning either. Dogs make their owners happy, and this feeling of happiness is the leading reason for getting a dog. As pet owner’s lives gradually return to normal with less time spent at home and more time spent at the office or travelling, the recently witnessed growth in pet ownership may slow down.

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