China’s pet population is projected to nearly double that of the number of children ages 4 and under by 2030, with urban pet ownership expected to reach over 70 million. This trend is driven by a decline in birth rates as young Chinese adults are choosing not to have children, with new births expected to decrease by 4.2% until 2030. The preference for pets over children is particularly strong among adults between the ages of 23 and 33, who make up almost half of the pet owners in China.
As a result of this shift in attitude towards pet ownership, China’s pet food market is expected to grow into a $12 billion industry by 2030, with cat ownership projected to surpass that of dogs due to their lower space requirements. The declining birth rates in China are reflective of a global trend, as many countries are experiencing falling fertility rates. In Japan, for example, the pet population of around 20 million already outweighs the number of children ages 4 and under.
While new marriages in China increased in 2023, a significant portion of the population between the ages of 25 and 29 remain unmarried, with late marriages becoming more common. This trend, coupled with the growing preference for pets over children, is reshaping demographics in countries like China and Japan, where pet ownership is on the rise while birth rates are declining.
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