Ecuador adds pet food to its household consumption basket

Ecuador’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) has added pet food to the country’s Basic Family Consumption Basket (BFCB), reflecting the growing role of pets in household spending.

The updated selection of goods and services took effect in July 2026, replacing the previous basket, which had been used for 44 years until June.

The BFCB measures the monthly cost of goods and services considered necessary for a typical four-member household in Ecuador. The revised basket contains 98 items, up from 75 in the previous version.

What has changed

The updated basket includes 37 food and 61 non-food items, with INEC monitoring prices periodically.

The new BFCB was valued at $825.17 (€725.26) in July 2026, compared with $824.85 (€724.98) for the previous BFCB in June, its final month before the methodology was updated.

Pet food is included under the food and beverages category, with an average monthly allocation of $14.78 (€12.99). 

Food and beverages represent the largest share of the basket at $355.27 (€312.26) per month, followed by housing and basic services at $278.29 (€244.60). Together, the two categories account for about 77% of the total basket cost.

Aside from pet food, the new basket also added taxis, internet, mobile phone plans, sanitary napkins, trash bags, apples and yogurt. Meanwhile, products such as newspapers, movie tickets and filtered cigarettes were removed.

Other pet food initiatives

Last year, the Ecuadorian government removed the value-added tax (VAT) on pet food. According to the Presidential Communication Secretariat, the measure was intended to ease expenses for Ecuadorian families and support pet care, recognizing the importance of pets within the household.

The initiative was driven by collaboration between the Ecuadorian Committee for Pet Nutrition (CENMA) and government entities and was expected to benefit more than 8 million Ecuadorian households with pets.

Beyond pet food

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) added 27 items to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) this year, including pet grooming. 

The item was added to the “pets, related products and services” category. Other items in this class include cat and dog food and treats, pet collars, small pets, dog kennel boarding fees, wild bird seed, animal cages and annual booster injections.

In addition, last year, Italy added dog waste bags and pet bowls to its CPI basket. The 2025 Italian Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) basket includes 1,944 elementary products, compared with 1,936 in 2024.