Australia’s Pet Ownership & Spending Snapshot 2025 (Infographic)

Australians love their pets and the numbers in 2025 make that crystal clear. From record-high pet ownership to billions spent every year on food, veterinary care, grooming, and everyday essentials, the pet economy in Australia is not just growing, it’s booming.

In this post, we’ll break down the key insights from our Australia’s Pet Ownership & Spending Snapshot 2025 infographic, including how many households own pets, how many pets live in Australia, where pet owners spend the most money, and what’s driving the ongoing rise in pet ownership.

If you’re a pet owner, a future pet parent, or simply curious about Australia’s pet trends, this data-packed overview will give you the clearest picture of the pet landscape right now.

Australia has reached record pet ownership levels in 2025

According to one of the most widely cited pet-industry research sources in Australia, 73% of Australian households now own at least one pet. That’s nearly three in every four homes, a huge signal that pets are firmly part of the Australian lifestyle.

This rise isn’t just a post-COVID spike that faded away. The trend line tells a different story:

• 2019: ~61% of households owned a pet
• 2022: ~69%
• 2025: 73%

In other words, pet ownership has continued to rise steadily, showing long-term momentum rather than a temporary surge. For many Australians, pets aren’t “extras” they’re family.

What this means for pet owners: increased demand for quality pet supplies, improved pet care standards, and more innovation in products that support pet wellness, comfort, and convenience.

How many pets are there in Australia?

The scale of pet ownership in Australia is even more striking when you look at total pet numbers. Research suggests Australia is home to roughly:

• 31.6 million total pets nationwide
• living across approximately 7.7 million households

That’s an enormous number of companion animals, and it helps explain why the pet industry has become one of the most resilient consumer categories in the country. Even during times of cost-of-living pressure, many households continue to prioritise spending on their pets’ wellbeing.

Dogs vs cats in Australia: who’s more common?

When people think of pets in Australia, dogs and cats dominate the conversation, and the stats back it up.

Dog ownership in Australia (2025)

• 49–50% of Australian households own a dog
• Estimated 7.4 million dogs nationwide
• Average dog household spends about AU$2,520 per year

Dogs remain the most common companion animal in Australian homes. They also typically drive higher annual spending due to factors like training, outdoor gear, larger food consumption, and lifestyle accessories.

Cat ownership in Australia (2025)

• 34% of Australian households own a cat
• Estimated 5.3 million cats nationwide
• Average cat household spends about AU$1,656 per year

Cats are incredibly popular too, just with a lower household penetration than dogs. While cats can be more “self-sufficient” in some households, owners still invest heavily in nutrition, litter, enrichment, and health care.

Key takeaway: Dogs are owned by more households and tend to cost more annually, but both categories contribute massively to Australia’s overall pet spending.

Australia’s pet industry spending: how big is it?

Here’s one of the biggest headline stats: Australians spend AU$21+ billion annually on pets.

That figure includes the full range of pet-related spending, including:

• food and treats
• vet care
• grooming and hygiene
• accessories and supplies
• training, boarding, toys, and other services

To put it bluntly: pet spending is no longer a niche market. It’s a major consumer economy with consistent demand, and growing expectations for better quality products.

Where does pet money go? (Spending breakdown)

Pet owners spend across several major categories, but one stands clearly above the rest:

1) Pet food (~50%)

Food is the largest share of pet spending in Australia. That includes everyday meals, treats, special diets, premium nutrition, and supplements. This is also where many households shift toward higher quality options over time as they learn what works best for their pet’s health.

2) Vet care (~21–25%)

Veterinary care is the second-biggest category. It covers routine check-ups, vaccinations, parasite prevention, dental care, and unexpected emergencies ,and it’s one major reason many owners now consider pet insurance or build a “pet emergency fund.”

3) Accessories & supplies (~12%)

This includes essentials like beds, leads, collars, harnesses, feeding gear, crates, and travel accessories. It’s also where pet owners tend to spend to improve comfort and convenience especially for growing puppies, senior dogs, anxious pets, or pets that travel with the family.

4) Grooming & hygiene (~8%)

Shampoos, brushes, nail clippers, grooming tools, and hygiene products add up, particularly for long-haired breeds and households that prefer at-home grooming.

5) Miscellaneous (~5–10%)

Training, boarding, toys, enrichment tools, and various pet services fall into this bucket.

Overall: food and vet care dominate, but spending on supplies and comfort items is a major and growing segment, especially as pet owners increasingly treat pets like family members.

Why Australians love their pets (and keep investing in them)

The emotional side matters too, because it explains why pet ownership holds strong even when budgets tighten.

Research shows:

• 86% of pet owners say pets improve their life
• 71% say pets improve mental health
• 67% say pets help reduce stress
• 43% say they’ve made lifestyle changes for better pet care

This is why pet spending isn’t just transactional. It’s emotional. When a pet improves your life, you naturally want to improve theirs.

Want to share this infographic?

If you’re a blogger, journalist, vet clinic, pet community admin, or researcher, you’re welcome to reference or embed our infographic with attribution to Pawfey. Clear statistics help the whole pet community make better decisions, and we’re happy to contribute.

Sources used for the infographic:

• Animal Medicines Australia, Pets in Australia Survey 2025
• Australian Dog Lover, Industry Spending Review
• Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), Pet Ownership Trends