China’s burgeoning pet ownership, coupled with a preference for U.S.-made pet food, presents significant opportunities for American pet food manufacturers to expand in the global market, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) report, ‘China: Pet Food Market Update 2024.’
China’s pet consumer market reached $41.9 billion in 2024, a 7.5% increase from 2023. Pet food remains the largest segment, comprising 52.8% of all pet-related consumption. The U.S. holds a dominant position as the leading supplier, accounting for over 69% of China’s imported pet food market. Despite opportunities, manufacturers must navigate evolving consumer trends to succeed.
Unlike the U.S., where dogs are the most popular pets, Chinese consumers show a strong preference for cats. In 2024, China’s pet population included 71.5 million cats and 52.6 million dogs, reflecting year-over-year growth of 2.5% and 1.6%, respectively. The cat consumer market outpaced its canine counterpart, growing by 10.7% compared to the dog market’s 4.6% increase.
Though the dog food market remained slightly larger at $10.3 billion in 2023, the cat food market is closing the gap, reaching $9.8 billion and growing at a faster rate (7.6% year-over-year compared to 3.9% for dog food).
China’s pet food market grew to $22.2 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.4% from 2013 to 2024. Despite this rapid expansion, market penetration remains low at 20%, compared to 90% in Europe and North America.
Preferences vary by pet type. In 2024, dog owners increasingly favored freeze-dried (43.9%), baked dry (39.0%), and fresh formulas (21.1%), while extruded and wet formats saw declines. Among cat owners, extruded (43.8%), wet (12.0%), and air-dried (10.5%) formats gained popularity, whereas freeze-dried, baked, and fresh formats experienced a drop in demand.
E-commerce is the primary channel for pet food purchases in China, with live broadcast platforms like TikTok growing in popularity.
China’s domestic pet food manufacturing industry comprises around 200 certified producers with an annual capacity of 1.12 million tons. Nevertheless, imports play a significant role. In the first 10 months of 2024, China imported $427.24 million worth of pet food—a 17% decline from 2023—of which $295.04 million came from the U.S.
American brands remain strong in the dog food sector, but Chinese brands are gaining ground in the cat food market. New import licenses largely focus on baked and freeze-dried products. Other key exporters to China include New Zealand ($54.10 million), Thailand ($38.72 million), Italy ($20.29 million), and Canada ($7.39 million).
Chinese consumers demonstrate mixed brand loyalties. Nearly half of dog (47%) and cat (48%) owners show no preference for domestic or imported brands. Meanwhile, 27% of dog owners and 28% of cat owners favor Chinese brands, while 18% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners exclusively purchase foreign brands.
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