China’s pet economy boom: Youths favouring pets over human partners?

(Photos: Daryl Lim/SPH Media, unless otherwise stated)

Every day after work, Yi Ke, a 25-year-old Shenzhen local in the healthcare industry, walks her two dogs at aPark (一个公园). Transformed from an old factory, aPark is a pet-friendly commercial eco-complex in Shenzhen and a regular watering hole for pet owners.

Yi and her partner consider their 4-year-old Schnauzer mix and 4-month-old German Shepherd mix as their children, and often refer to themselves as “dad” and “mum” in front of their beloved dogs.

Yi spends time with her dogs every day and brings them to various pet events on the weekends. She said, “Like any other devoted parent, we meticulously care for the physical and mental well-being of our dogs, giving them the best possible care both materially and emotionally.”

The latest China Pet Industry White Paper published by Petdata showed that post-80s and post-90s pet owners like Yi are the main force of pet ownership in China, accounting for a whopping 77.7% of the total.

Analyses show that youths represent one of the most dynamic consumer groups in the market because they are well-educated, more easily attracted to emerging consumer patterns and products, and have the financial means to provide a better quality of life for their pets.

Many youths even humanise their pets and raise them as if they are raising children, giving their “fur kids” good food and quality medical care and grooming services. They are also more particular about their pet’s daily necessities such as crates, bowls and leashes.

This trend has made the pet industry more professional, refined and personalised, and has given rise to related sectors such as smart pet supplies, veterinary specialties, photography, therapy and funeral services, promoting the overall development of the pet economy.

According to statistics from Tianyancha, Shenzhen, the youngest Chinese city where the average age of residents is only 32.5 years, currently has over 84,000 pet-related businesses, a six-fold increase from 12,000 in 2020.

Completed in December last year, aPark embodies Shenzhen’s efforts to achieve harmonious coexistence between people and pets while serving as a commercial eco-hub for the pet economy. The main focus is on joint consumption experiences for pets and pet owners. Consumers are free to bring their pets into stores or visit exhibitions. They can also take a rest in a cafe with their pets, each enjoying their own treats.

The Shenzhen government has continued to ramp up efforts in this area over the past month, including opening China’s first pet lounge at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, launching pet-friendly bus routes, and promoting the construction of more pet-friendly shopping malls and parks.

The pet economy continues to expand in China as well. The aforementioned white paper pointed out that the size of China’s urban pet consumption market has grown steadily over the past nine years, from 97.8 billion RMB (US$13.4 billion) in 2015 to 279.3 billion RMB in 2023, and is expected to reach 361.3 billion RMB in 2026.

However, amid China’s economic slowdown and high youth unemployment rate, the overall market growth has slowed for two consecutive years, from 20.6% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2023.

In 2023, China’s pet owners spent an annual average of 2,875 RMB and 1,870 RMB on a single dog and cat respectively, marking declines of 0.2% and 0.75%, the first time the pet industry has seen a consumption downgrade since 2020.

Song Ding, a researcher at China (Shenzhen) Development Institute, told Lianhe Zaobao that pets make good companions — with China’s rapidly ageing society and youths increasingly delaying or forgoing marriage, the rise of the “silver economy” and “singles economy” has driven the rapid development of the pet economy in recent years.

Compared with married couples, young singles generally have higher purchasing power and play a pivotal role in driving the pet economy.

Official statistics show that after peaking at 13.47 million couples in 2013, the number of marriages registered in China has declined for nine consecutive years, falling below 7 million in 2022. Although the figure rebounded last year for the first time in nearly a decade, many analysts think that this was primarily due to postponed weddings and will not reverse the trend of delaying or forgoing marriage.

According to the China Population Census Yearbook 2020, the average age for first marriages was 28.67 years old in 2020, up 3.78 years from 24.89 years old in 2010.

Based on information from the China Population and Employment Statistical Yearbook 2023, Chinese media outlet Yicai found that 51.3% of those aged between 25 and 29 remained unmarried. This implies that youths in that age group are more likely to be single.

Song pointed out that the singles economy was born out of current economic and social conditions and is not the norm. Authorities are bound to ramp up efforts to remedy this unfavourable situation. But he also warned that when this phenomenon exists on a large scale in society, it breeds a climate where more young people choose to remain unmarried or divorce shortly after marriage.

Wei Zhizhong, the chief psychological counsellor at Guangzhou’s Yiweiduxin Psychology Counselling Clinic (一苇渡心心理咨询), pointed out when interviewed that even if the younger generation’s attitude towards marriage and parenthood changes, it will not change their emotional needs for love, belonging, security and attachment. However, because the cost of obtaining love has gotten higher, they have to temporarily suppress this intrinsic need or find other ways to fulfil it.

Wei thinks that youths raising pets like children can be seen as another way for them to express their emotions and gain emotional fulfilment from the loyalty and companionship of their pet. But he stressed that pets can only satisfy the human desire to love and care for others but cannot fulfil a higher sense of self-worth and meaning of life.

He said, “There is so much negativity about parenthood in today’s society that youths have become apprehensive and chosen to avoid it. To change that mindset, there is a need to reignite their social instincts and to teach them how to enjoy life’s ups and downs as well as pursue self-realisation through raising children.”

Wei suggests that nurturing emotional needs through pet ownership can be beneficial. By choosing to release rather than suppress emotions during adversity, youths can continue to play a positive role in society.

However, not everyone agrees that keeping pets is an alternative to raising children and filling an emotional void. As someone who does not want to get married, Yi asserted that keeping pets and deciding not to get married are two separate issues that should not be discussed together.

She clarified, “I raise pets because I love them. I don’t want to get married because I love freedom.”

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “单身观念驱动中国宠物经济升温”.

Related: China’s pet industry booms as the post-90s generation seeks to fill a void | [Video] How are China’s youths spending their money?