German pet market (II): Pet population registers slight decline in 2024
The number of cats is rising while the dog population remains flat. GlobalPETS has all the details.
Research from the German Pet Trade & Industry Association (ZZF) and Industrial Association of Pet Care Producers (IVH) reveals that 33.9 million pets lived in Germany in 2024 and that 44% of households owned at least 1 animal.
This is slightly less than in 2023, where 34.3 million pets lived across 45% of households.
It is believed that more than half of German pet parents (54%) are under 50, and 46% are over 50.
These results are of a representative household telephone and online survey of 5,000 people conducted by the market research institute Skopos for IVH and ZZF.
Cats and dogs
In 2024, 15.9 million house cats were in a quarter of German households. In 2023, the ZZF calculated that the nationwide cat population was 15.7 million.
It is believed that nearly 4 out of 10 (38%) cat owners had 2 or more felines last year, an amount that dropped from 42% in 2023.
Dogs are the second most popular pets, with 10.5 million animals in 21% of households. This number remains the same as in 2023.
Other animals
Small animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and mice, represented 4.3 million across 5% of households in 2024. This is slightly lower than in 2023, when they accounted for 4.6 million.
The population of pet birds also declined between 2023 and 2024, from 3.5 million to 3.2 million, living in 3% of German households.
Aquariums accounted for 2 million in 2024 (down from 2.2 million in 2023), while it is believed that there were 1.1 million ornamental fish and terrariums in 2024.
The report also found that 1.4% of Germans kept farmed animals such as chickens or quails at home in 2024.
For more insights:
German pet market (I): Stability at €7 billion in 2024
German pet market (III): Inside 2024’s pet categories and retail dynamics
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