By 2030, China’s pet population is expected to almost double that of its young children, with over 70 million urban pets compared to less than 40 million children aged 4 and under. This shift is driven by a declining birth rate in China, with new births projected to fall at an average rate of 4.2% until 2030. Young Chinese adults are increasingly opting for pets over children, with those between the ages of 23 and 33 making up almost half of the pet owners in China. The country’s pet food market is expected to grow to a $12 billion industry by 2030, with cat ownership predicted to surpass that of dogs due to their lower space requirements.
The trend of declining birth rates and increasing pet ownership is not unique to China, as countries around the world are also experiencing similar trends. China’s population has already started to decline, with more than half of individuals between 25 and 29 remaining unmarried. In Japan, the pet population of about 20 million was almost four times the number of children aged 4 and under as of 2022. This shift in demographics has significant implications for the future of population growth and family dynamics in these countries.
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