US pet food inflation registers biggest increase in 15 years

The figure is higher than in July when pet owners paid 1.2% more for the purchase of food for their animals. 

Consumers are paying an accumulated 10.7% more since the beginning of 2022, according to new data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In August, prices for the category were 12.6% more expensive than in the same month of 2021.

August was also the second month of the year with a higher increase in prices for pet food. In March, just after the start of the war in Ukraine, prices increased by 2.3%.

The federal agency also unveiled that the price of pets, pet supplies, and accessories increased by 1.5% in August.

Two-decade record

The inflation pressure in the pet food category is higher than the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI), which remained at 8.3% over the last 12 months. July 2022 saw an increase of 8.5%.

American officials suggested earlier in the year that the pet segment could set an inflation record over two decades this 2022.

According to the BLS database consulted by GlobalPETS, 2008 recorded a higher increase in pet prices in the US.

That year, pet parents had to pay an annual 14.5% more for pet food, with peak increases in March (2.1%) and July (2.3%).