Belgian households with pets increased by 2% in the last year

Nearly 60% of Belgians have a pet in 2023, compared to 57% in 2022 and 52% in 2021.

Accessed by GlobalPETS, the BEFEPA survey concludes that the highest concentration of pets was found among French-speaking households (65%), followed by the Flemish (53%).

The data reveals that 7 out of 10 Belgians under 35 own a pet, followed by 64% of those aged 35–54 and 56% of those over 55.

Cats are the most popular pets (33%), followed by dogs (30%). According to the figures, dog ownership has increased 6% in Belgium since 2021.

New pet parents

The survey concludes that 2 out of 10 Belgians welcomed a new pet in the 12 months to March 2023, a 12% increase in the last 2 years. Cats and dogs were by far the most acquired pets during that period.

7% of Belgian households became first-time pet owners, while 12% adopted an additional pet.

Reasons for adopting a new pet include providing company for family members (40%), loss of a previous pet (15%), company for an existing pet (14%), mental health (9%), personal safety (8%), loss of a family member (5%) and exercise (3%).

The figures show that nearly 3 out of 10 new pets in Belgium (28%) were brought from a breeder. 14% of the total resulted from people breeding their pets themselves, doubling from the previous year.

Each Belgian household has an average of 3.8 pets, a slight increase from 2022. The number of homes with just 1 pet decreased to 22% (-2%), while those with 5 or more pets increased to 13% (+2%)

Supermarkets in the lead

Supermarkets are the preferred purchasing channel on a weekly and monthly basis, with 10% and 42%, respectively.

On a yearly basis, pet shops (34%) are the preferred channel for Belgian pet parents. Dog owners purchase more from specialized channels (38%) than cat owners (32%).

The BEFEPA’s figures suggest that more pet owners in the country are buying their pet food from a vet and online than they were in 2021. Online channels are also more established among dog owners (32%) than those who own cats (25%).

Expenditure

Belgian pet owners would be willing to spend an average of €109 ($117) on their pet every month, out of which €79.4 ($85.2) would be allocated to food.

The data suggests that 35% of pet parents would prefer to spend €26–50 ($27–53) per month on pet food.

2 out of 10 respondents believe that price influences their purchasing decisions most, followed by food tailored for their pets’ age (16%) and foods that pets find appetizing (15%). 43% of Belgians decided on the brand of pet food they wanted to buy before they visited a store.

More than 6 out of 10 did not wish to change anything toward their pet care despite inflation, but 19% would look for a cheaper option.